Opengesneden konijn met de organen zichtbaar before 1901

This photograph, "Opengesneden konijn met de organen zichtbaar," meaning "Open rabbit with the organs visible," shows a rabbit splayed open on a cold blue surface. Its skin is peeled back, the organs revealed. I can imagine Donnadieu trying to capture something about the reality of the animal body, but also something about vulnerability and exposure, which is definitely achieved. There is a kind of crude beauty in the mess of its interior—the shiny coils, the soft textures. It's like a still life, but of death. What I think is so cool here is how Donnadieu captures the rabbit's body in such stark detail, with the contrast and sharpness and the coldness of its skin. I think it's interesting that the artist made it like this and decided to present it to us. It's so brave, really. We painters talk to each other across time through our works. This artwork is a kind of experiment that embraces ambiguity, which is what makes it such a powerful way to create meaning.