Dode haas, hangend aan een poot 1819 - 1881

Johannes Tavenraat rendered "Dead Hare, Hanging from a Leg" in a pen and brush drawing, showcasing delicate use of brown and gray ink. The composition immediately draws you in with the stark contrast between the lifeless hare and the lively, textured background of foliage and a looming tree. The hare, suspended upside down, becomes a study in contrasts. Its fur is meticulously detailed with brown ink, giving it a lifelike texture, while the background's gray washes suggest depth and shadow. Tavenraat uses the hanging hare as a focal point, a brutal still life that challenges our perceptions of nature and mortality. The careful rendering invites a semiotic interpretation, using the hare as a signifier of vulnerability and the cycle of life. In its formal structure, the drawing balances an element of stark realism with artistic abstraction, blurring the lines between observation and philosophical contemplation.