Dode ree 1864 - 1880

Editor: So this is *Dode ree* by Johannes Tavenraat, drawn sometime between 1864 and 1880. It's a pencil drawing on paper and… it’s honestly quite bleak. A dead deer, starkly rendered. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Beyond the obvious melancholic air, I'm drawn to Tavenraat's dedication. There's an honesty to the subject matter; no romanticising the demise of nature. The realist style makes the stark contrast between delicate life and eventual decay all the more poignant, doesn't it? I find myself thinking about our own mortality looking at it. Does it strike you similarly? Editor: Definitely. The realism amplifies the harshness, but the soft pencil strokes are surprisingly gentle. Almost… respectful? Curator: Exactly! The artist doesn't shy away from realism, yet elevates the subject to something tender, perhaps universally recognizable. Think about still lifes—artists would place game, often deceased animals, with symbolic items to make vanitas statements. Is Tavenraat also reminding us about the fleeting nature of existence through the lens of the natural world? I find the piece simultaneously unsettling and contemplative. Editor: It’s interesting how you can read both the shock of death and, as you say, almost a meditation on it. I didn't really pick up on that the first time. Curator: Well, the real joy of art is in peeling back those layers isn't it? Each viewing offers something new, or a new perspective on something old. Editor: I think I'll definitely be chewing on that. Thanks!