The Hare by Albrecht Dürer, 1502, white and watercolor on paper
Albrecht Dürer's Hare is a major work of the German Renaissance. This watercolor, made in 1502, shows a hare sitting on its hind legs, facing left. It measures 25.1 x 22.6 cm and is now kept in the Albertina Museum in Vienna.
Description of the work
The work depicts a hare sitting on its hind legs, facing left. The animal is depicted very realistically and naturalistically, with great attention to detail in its fur and eyes. The hare's coat is rendered with great precision, with the hairs individually drawn to create a realistic texture. The eyes are particularly striking, with great expressiveness and a luminous reflection that reinforces the credibility of the representation. The entire image is treated with great meticulousness and finesse, testifying to the artist's talent for naturalistic representation.
The watercolor is made with great precision and technical mastery, which allow Dürer to create a subtle and delicate image. The watercolor technique also makes it possible to create effects of transparency and luminosity, which give the image a feeling of lightness and brightness. The lighter parts of the coat are left white, creating light effects that add credibility to the depiction. The hare is represented on a white background, which highlights the delicacy of the representation. The animal sits on its hind legs, with the front legs tucked under the body. The posture of the hare is both graceful and elegant, enhancing the impression of lightness and delicacy of the image.
Techniques used
Albrecht Dürer used the watercolor technique to create The Hare. This technique consists of using pigments diluted in water to create effects of transparency and luminosity. The artist used different types of brushes to create different textures, especially to render the hare's fur. The watercolor technique is particularly suitable for creating naturalistic and realistic images, as it allows details to be rendered with great precision. Dürer used this technique to create a very detailed and realistic depiction of the hare, using the whites of the paper to render the lighter parts of the coat.
The watercolor technique also allowed Dürer to create a sense of transparency and luminosity in the image, using the whiteness of the paper to create reflections and light effects. This technique allowed Dürer to create a very delicate and subtle image, which emphasizes the grace and elegance of the hare.
An important work
The hare has a very important symbolic meaning in Dürer's work. During the Renaissance, the hare was an animal highly valued for its speed and lightness, as well as for its graceful and elegant character. The hare was often depicted in art of the time, whether in paintings, prints or tapestries.
In Dürer's work, the hare is a recurring motif, testifying to the artist's interest in this animal. The hare is often depicted in a very realistic and naturalistic way, with great attention to detail in its fur and eyes. The hare is also often represented in graceful and elegant positions, reinforcing the impression of lightness and delicacy.
The hare is also linked to the tradition of hunting, which was a popular activity during the Renaissance period. The hare was one of the most prized prey, and was often depicted in contemporary art being hunted. Dürer's naturalistic depiction of the hare therefore testifies to the interest of the time in hunting and in wild animals in general.
The hare also has a deeper symbolic meaning in Dürer's work. The hare is often associated with speed and agility, qualities that were highly valued during the Renaissance era. The hare is also associated with the idea of transience and transience, referring to the ephemeral nature of human life.
The hare is also linked to the tradition of portraiture. During the Renaissance, portraits were highly valued, and artists were often asked to do portraits of pets. Dürer's hare is therefore an example of this tradition, where the animal is depicted with great precision and finesse, as if it were a human being.
It is also a work that bears witness to the evolution of artistic technique during the Renaissance period. Dürer used the watercolor technique to create a very precise and detailed image, which testifies to the mastery of this technique by the artist. The use of paper blanks
History of the work
After the death of the artist on April 6, 1528, The Hare by Albrecht Dürer was sold by his heirs to the merchant and great collector from Nuremberg, Willibald Imhoff. In 1588, the heirs of the latter sold Le lièvre, as well as a hundred other drawings and watercolors, to Emperor Rudolf II, who took it to Prague.
In 1631, Emperor Ferdinand II transferred most of Rudolf II's collection from Prague Castle to the Hofburg in Vienna, thus preserving the work from the looting of the city by Swedish troops during the Thirty Years' War.
From 1783, Le lièvre joined the Imperial Library, then was sold, during the summer of 1796, to Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen, whose collections formed the basis of the Albertina Museum. Since its creation, Le lièvre has been part of the museum's collections.
In 2014, the original work was again hung on the walls of the Albertina Museum, on the occasion of the exhibition “Die Gründung der Albertina. Zwischen Dürer und Napoleon" ("The origins of the Albertina: from Dürer to Napoleon"), which is held from March 14 to June 29, 2014. This exhibition allows you to discover the history of the founding of the Albertina museum, as well as numerous works of European art, including The Hare by Albrecht Dürer.
Dürer's hare eye detail
6 incongruous things about the work
Although the image depicts a hare, the work does not feature a landscape or background. The hare is simply represented on a white background, which highlights the delicacy of the representation.
The hare is represented very realistically, but its position is quite strange. The animal is depicted sitting on its hind legs, with the front legs folded under the body. This position reinforces the impression of lightness and delicacy of the image, but can seem a little incongruous.
The hare is depicted with a very detailed coat, but there is no sign of life or movement in the image. The animal is simply seated, looking in the direction of the viewer.
The naturalistic representation of the hare may seem a little incongruous in an artistic context where idealized images and allegories were very common.
The artwork is very small, which may seem a bit incongruous for such a detailed and subtle watercolor.
The symbolic meaning of the hare in Dürer's work may seem a bit strange or difficult to understand for modern viewers who are unfamiliar with the Renaissance tradition.
Influences of Albrecht Dürer's Hare in contemporary culture
Dürer's Hare has also inspired many contemporary artists, who have created works of art inspired by the print. For example, in 1979, American artist Jeff Koons created a giant stainless steel sculpture of a rabbit titled "Rabbit," which closely resembles Dürer's famous engraving.
The Rabbit has also been used in advertising and marketing. For example, in 2018, luxury brand Hermès released a scarf collection called "The Fauna's Secret", inspired by nature and animals, with a scarf featuring a reproduction of Dürer's engraving.
Dürer's Hare has become a symbol of wildlife protection, and is often used in campaigns to raise awareness about nature conservation.
In the world of fashion, the hare motif has been used on clothing, accessories and decorative items. Luxury brands have used the image of the hare to create handbags, scarves and jewelry.
Selena Mattei