Jager met hazen 1840 - 1880

This pen and brown ink drawing, "Hunter with Hares," was created by Johannes Tavenraat in the 19th century. The sketch presents a central figure flanked by disembodied heads. The hunter, rendered with brisk, assured lines, stands over his kill: several hares scattered at his feet. Tavenraat's use of line is particularly striking here. Note the density of hatching to convey shadow and form, contrasted with the open, airy quality of the background. The composition is deceptively simple, almost diagrammatic. Yet it destabilizes traditional notions of portraiture. The additional heads—one facing forward, the other in profile—serve not to complete a realistic depiction, but rather to fragment and multiply the subject. This piece challenges fixed meanings. Is it a study of character, a commentary on mortality, or a meditation on the act of representation itself? Ultimately, the drawing functions as an arena for exploring the interplay between observation, expression, and the very structure of visual language.