Drie hazen in een landschap 1680 - 1694

Jan Griffier created this print, "Three Hares in a Landscape," sometime between 1665 and 1718. Griffier was part of a wave of Dutch artists who, in response to the turmoil of war, turned away from human subjects and towards the natural world. This etching feels like a fable, each creature caught in its own drama, yet connected by the same landscape. We see a bird, perched precariously on a tree branch, and hares, some frozen, others fleeing. It's an emotional landscape, mirroring a society in flux. Griffier's work departs from traditional landscape paintings that often served as backdrops for aristocratic portraits. Instead, he focuses on the everyday existence of animals. The animals are rendered with a stark realism and perhaps serves as a metaphor for the human condition.