Twee studies van hazen 1819 - 1881

Johannes Tavenraat made this drawing of two studies of hares in the Netherlands in the 19th century. The sketch gives us a glimpse into the artistic practices of the time. The Dutch art world in the 1800s was still heavily influenced by the Royal Academy, which emphasized academic training through drawing. Animal studies like this were a common exercise, honing an artist’s skills in observation and representation. Tavenraat would have likely produced this sketch as a preparatory study for a larger painting, perhaps a hunting scene or a pastoral landscape. These sketches were important exercises in the Dutch art world, an environment in which artists would later rebel against the Academy in favor of a more modern and impressionistic approach. To understand this work better, we might explore the archival records of the Royal Academy or delve into the biographies of other Dutch artists working at the time. The meaning of this art lies in the social and institutional context in which it was made.