Haas in september 1840 - 1880

Curator: What a wonderfully energetic piece! This is a drawing by Johannes Tavenraat, titled "Haas in september," placing it sometime between 1840 and 1880. It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is its immediacy. It feels like a fleeting moment, quickly captured. Look at the thinness of the paper, the rapid strokes of ink. It's pure, raw process on display. Curator: Indeed. The rabbit, or 'haas', becomes a symbol of movement, of the fleeting nature of September itself, perhaps. The cultural associations of rabbits, often linked with fertility and spring, are upended. Here, the autumn context might imply something different, a sense of hurried preparation for colder times. Editor: I agree. And note the very specific tools employed. A pen and ink drawing speaks volumes about access and affordability during that period. This isn't high art designed for a patron; it has the character of a sketch in a personal notebook. Curator: It certainly does. It invites us to consider how artistic ideas were developed outside formal commissions. Note, also, the almost translucent quality of the paper itself, creating an ephemeral, ghostly effect. The text at the bottom adds a personal dimension – hinting at the narrative or emotional context behind this sketch. Editor: The inscription below grounds this image. "Of je kan weer saân loopen," perhaps some kind of commentary by the artist or maybe just an amusing rhyme. The social fabric within which this drawing existed is clearly visible here. What the rabbit is running from—or toward—is as much material as it is metaphorical. Curator: Yes! It leaves us contemplating what ‘September’ might have signified to Tavenraat, what changes and transitions it evoked. Perhaps he wished to return to running across land again with a friend! The drawing evokes memory, transition, and the passage of time. Editor: Absolutely. This piece shows us how much we can learn about art—and its creation—through close attention to the process and the specific materials artists used. It underscores the vital connection between material conditions, lived experience and the artistic choices shaping an image.