Hazenjacht 1819 - 1881

Johannes Tavenraat created this etching, "Hazenjacht," whose date is unknown, using a monochrome palette to depict a hare hunt. The work is organized horizontally, dividing the composition into roughly two registers of land and sky. The lower section features dense, diagonal hatching to represent the ground cover, conveying a sense of depth through tonal variation. The fleeing hares and pursuing hounds are rendered with gestural lines, emphasizing their dynamic movement across the plane. Above, the sky is rendered with horizontal lines, establishing a flat contrast to the textured foreground. The stark juxtaposition between the frenzied action below and the static sky suggests a tension between the immediate struggle and the broader indifference of nature. This structural opposition reflects a semiotic interplay between predator and prey, and order and chaos. The minimalist approach challenges conventional depictions of landscape, prompting a meditation on mortality and the hunt's cultural symbolism.