Hert geschoten springend over boomstam 1870

Curator: What a dynamic little scene. The energy practically leaps off the page. Editor: Absolutely! And this is Johannes Tavenraat’s "Hert geschoten springend over boomstam" which translates to “Deer Shot Leaping Over Log," dating back to 1870. A pen and ink drawing currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. The frantic movement really captivates. Curator: I love that "sketchbook drawing" feel; there’s a beautiful spontaneity here. You can almost hear the deer's frantic heartbeat, even without a single splash of color. Did the artist see something similar? I wonder. It almost feels unfinished. Editor: It’s interesting you mention the “unfinished” quality, because the Romantics—and Tavenraat here— were often interested in the fragment, the glimpse, rather than some complete, polished tableau. Think about how industrialization was impacting the landscape at this time; perhaps this fragment speaks to broader anxiety about humanity's disruption of the natural world. Curator: Oh, I hadn't considered it in relation to Romantic anxieties about nature being altered. It could be he is emphasizing nature's fragile and temporal condition, but it seems the work, to me, conveys more raw movement than deep symbolism, like, how hard is the jump over this giant tree trunk in the middle of nowhere? The use of shadow also highlights that powerful sense of a fleeting moment in the woods. Editor: Yes, and the dynamism might be its real political work— depicting an animal evading capture, survival depends on its every twitch and reflex. The stag embodies agility but is presented amidst signs of mortality like the cut log that suggests the demise of the animal. Consider the broader social context and increased hunting for sports during the 19th century! Curator: True. Perhaps a not-so-subtle commentary on that social trend as a matter of environmentalism and social ethics? Either way, Tavenraat creates an electrifying vision of an animal's fight or flight response. Editor: Indeed. A captivating glimpse into nature, rendered with compelling urgency. It reminds us that the wild exists in a precarious state, demanding both respect and, perhaps, protection.