Zes konijnen 1889

Curator: This print, "Six Rabbits" by Norbert Goeneutte, created in 1889, offers a glimpse into the domestic sphere through a finely rendered etching. It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: There's a quiet, almost melancholic tenderness to this image. The way the rabbits are grouped together suggests both vulnerability and a search for warmth, even safety. Curator: Exactly. Considering Goeneutte’s contemporary connections within Impressionism, especially his relationship to artists like Degas and Manet, we see here a departure from typical picturesque rural scenes to highlight the beauty found in ordinary animal life and to display skill in a tedious print medium. How these images circulated commercially, as prints often did, speaks to their value within popular culture. Editor: Yes, and I wonder about the symbolism, given the context of late 19th-century Parisian society. Rabbits can be associated with fertility, vulnerability, even delicacy, so one could also see this piece through a feminist lens. Perhaps an indirect comment on the lives of women, reduced to roles that emphasize those characteristics? Curator: It’s fascinating to consider. As an etching, we should also recognize that the process requires planning, layering, and chemical reactions. The control Goeneutte maintains over such a delicate and exacting medium, allows a glimpse into the artist’s hand and intention, and therefore helps bridge any gaps of reading into symbols we might perceive today. Editor: Absolutely, considering it as an artifact itself – the paper, the ink, the marks. It’s a product of its time. The material choices can subtly direct the interpretation. I like what it tells us. Curator: Ultimately, this little print manages to be both quiet and suggestive, a small window into a much larger world, and one worth examining for its technical and its possible social relevance. Editor: I agree; those fuzzy little creatures have provoked quite a layered conversation about gender roles and printmaking! I have new appreciation for this image.