Geschoten haas Possibly 1874

Johannes Tavenraat rendered these two hares in ink, their forms still bearing the recent traces of the hunter’s shot. The hare, depicted here in its final repose, is a potent symbol that stretches back through millennia. Consider its resonance: across cultures, the hare embodies both vulnerability and cunning, fertility and fear. In ancient lore, it was often associated with lunar deities and cycles of rebirth, yet here, it lies lifeless. This echoes through time, recalling similar depictions of hunted animals in Roman mosaics, where the act of the hunt was both a sport and a symbolic display of power over nature. The juxtaposition of the hare's symbolic associations with its stark reality evokes a powerful, almost primal response. It's a visual echo that resonates with our own subconscious understanding of mortality and the cyclical nature of life and death, a theme that continues to haunt and inspire artists across eras.