Basset Griffon hond 1843 - 1844

Johannes Tavenraat made this drawing of a Basset Griffon hound using pen and brown ink on paper. Note the artist's hand at work, especially the way that he's rendered the fur of the dog, the light stokes giving it texture and direction. It gives a sense of the animal being a living, breathing, creature. The tools involved are quite simple, yet the skills needed to achieve such subtlety would have taken time and practice to acquire. Tavenraat was working within a well-established tradition of animal studies, a type of art that goes back centuries. It is important to look at the drawing itself and consider the artist's skillful handling of the materials. We can appreciate that the artistic value comes from an understanding of the materials and processes involved in its making.