Rabbits and hares in art

A Hare in the ForestbyHans Hoffmann(c. 1585)

Gemüsestilleben mit Häschen( "Still Life with Rabbits" ) byJohann Georg Seitz(c. 1870)

Rabbitsandhares(Leporidae) are common motifs in thevisual arts,with variable mythological and artistic meanings in different cultures. The rabbit as well as the hare have been associated withmoon deitiesand may signify rebirth or resurrection.They may also be symbols offertilityor sensuality, and they appear in depictions of hunting and spring scenes in theLabours of the Months.

Judaism

The rabbit as a gift in courtship, exterior detail of a red-figurekylix,(Athens c. 480 BC)

InJudaism,the rabbit is considered an unclean animal, because "though itchews the cud,does not have adivided hoof."This led to derogatory statements in the Christian art of the Middle Ages, and to an ambiguous interpretation of therabbit's symbolism.The "shafan"inHebrewhas symbolic meaning. Although rabbits were a non-kosheranimal in theBible,positive symbolic connotations were sometimes noted, as for lions and eagles. 16th century German scholarRabbiYosef Hayim Yerushalmi,saw the rabbits as a symbol of theDiaspora.In any case, athree haresmotif was a prominent part of manySynagogues.

Classical Antiquity

InClassical Antiquity,the hare, because it was prized as a hunting quarry, was seen as the epitome of the hunted creature that could survive only by prolific breeding.Herodotus,Aristotle,PlinyandClaudius Aelianusall described the rabbit as one of the most fertile of animals. It thus became a symbol of vitality, sexual desire and fertility. The hare served as an attribute ofAphroditeand as a gift between lovers. Inlate antiquityit was used as a symbol of good luck and in connection with ancient burial traditions.

Christian art

Venus, Mars and CupidbyPiero di Cosimo,a Cupid lying on Venus clings to a white rabbit.

InEarly Christian art,hares appeared onreliefs,epitaphs,icons and oil lamps although their significance is not always clear.

ThePhysiologus,a resource for medieval artists, states that when in danger the rabbit seeks safety by climbing high up rocky cliffs, but when running back down, because of its short front legs, it is quickly caught by its predators.Likewise, according to the teaching ofSt. Basil,men should seek his salvation in the rock of Christ, rather than descending to seek worldly things and falling into the hands of thedevil.The negative view of the rabbit as an unclean animal, which derived from theOld Testament,always remained present formedievalartists and their patrons. Thus the rabbit can have a negative connotation of unbridled sexuality and lust or a positive meaning as a symbol of the steep path to salvation. Whether a representation of a hare in Medieval art represents man falling to his doom or striving for his eternal salvation is therefore open to interpretation, depending on context.

Thethree haresatPaderborn Cathedral

TheHasenfenster(hare windows) inPaderborn Cathedraland in theMuotathalMonastery in Switzerland, in whichthree haresare depicted with only three ears between them, forming a triangle, can be seen as a symbol of theTrinity,and probably go back to an old symbol for the passage of time. Though they have six ears, the three hares shown inAlbrecht Dürer'swoodcut,The Holy Family with Three Hares(1497), can also be seen as a symbol of the Trinity.

The idea of rabbits as a symbol of vitality, rebirth and resurrection derives from antiquity. This explains their role in connection withEaster,theresurrection of Christ.The unusual presentation in Christian iconography of aMadonnawith theChrist Childplaying with a white rabbit inTitian'sMadonna of the Rabbitcan thus be interpreted Christologically. Together with the basket of bread and wine, a symbol of the sacrificial death of Christ, the picture may be interpreted as the resurrection of Christ after death.

The phenomenon ofsuperfetation,where embryos from differentmenstrual cyclesare present in theuterus,results in hares and rabbits being able to give birth seemingly without having been impregnated, which caused them to be seen as symbols of virginity.Rabbits also live underground, an echo of the tomb of Christ.

Titian,Madonna of the Rabbit,Paris, Louvre, c. 1530

As a symbol of fertility, white rabbits appear on a wing of the high altar inFreiburg Minster.They are playing at the feet of two pregnant women,MaryandElizabeth.Martin Schongauer's engravingJesus after the Temptation(1470) shows nine (three times three) rabbits at the feet of Jesus Christ, which can be seen as a sign of extreme vitality. In contrast, the tiny squashed rabbits at the base of the columns inJan van Eyck'sRolin Madonnasymbolize "Lust", as part of a set of references in the painting to all theSeven Deadly Sins.

St. Jerome Reading in the Countryside,byGiovanni Bellini,with a white hare, 1505

Hunting scenes in the sacred context can be understood as the pursuit of good through evil. In the Romanesque sculpture (c. 1135) in theKönigslutterimperial Cathedral, a hare pursued by a hunter symbolises the human soul seeking to escape persecution by the devil. Another painting,Hares Catch the Hunters,shows the triumph of good over evil. Alternatively, when an eagle pursues the hare, the eagle can be seen as symbolizing Christ and the hare, uncleanliness and the evil's terror in the face of the light.

In Christianiconography,the hare is an attribute of SaintMartin of Toursand Saint Alberto di Siena, because legend has it that both protected hares from persecution by dogs and hunters. They are also an attribute of the patron saint of Spanish hunters,Olegariusof Barcelona. White hares and rabbits were sometimes the symbols of chastity and purity.

In secular art

Hunting still life with lap dog and monkeyby Jan Weenix, 1714

Hare flask by German glassworks, 18th century,National MuseuminWarsaw

In non-religious art of the modern era, the rabbit appears in the same context as in antiquity: as prey for the hunter, or representing spring or autumn, as well as an attribute of Venus and a symbol of physical love. In cycles of theLabours of the Months,rabbits frequently appear in the spring months. InFrancesco del Cossa's painting of April in thePalazzo SchifanoiainFerrara,Italy,Venus' children, surrounded by a flock of white rabbits, symbolize love and fertility.

InItalian RenaissanceandBaroqueart, rabbits are depicted more often than hares. In anallegoryon lust byPisanello,a naked woman lies on a couch with a rabbit at her feet.Pinturicchio's scene ofSusanna in the Bathis displayed in the Vatican'sBorgia Apartment.Here, each of the two old men are accompanied by a pair of hares or rabbits, clearly indicating wanton lust. InPiero di Cosimo's painting of Venus andMars,a cupid resting on Venus clings to a white rabbit for similar reasons.

Still lifesinDutch Golden Age paintingand theirFlemish equivalentsoften included a moralizing element which was understood by their original viewers without assistance: fish and meat can allude to religious dietary precepts, fish indicating fasting while great piles of meat indicatevoluptas carnis(lusts of the flesh), especially if lovers are also depicted. Rabbits and birds, perhaps in the company ofcarrotsand otherphallic symbols,were easily understood by contemporary viewers in the same sense.

As small animals with fur, hares and rabbits allowed the artist to showcase his ability in painting this difficult material. Dead hares appear in the works of the earliest painter of still life collections of foodstuffs in a kitchen setting,Frans Snyders,and remain a common feature, very often sprawling hung up by a rear leg, in the works ofJan Fyt,Adriaen van Utrechtand many other specialists in the genre. By the end of the 17th century, the grander subgenre of the hunting trophy still life appeared, now set outdoors, as though at the back door of a palace or hunting lodge. Hares (but rarely rabbits) continued to feature in the works of the Dutch and Flemish originators of the genre, and later French painters likeJean-Baptiste Oudry.

From theMiddle Agesuntil modern times, the right to hunt was a vigorously defended privilege of the ruling classes. HuntingStill lifes,often in combination with hunting equipment, adorn the rooms of baroque palaces, indicating the rank and prestige of their owners.Jan Weenix' painting shows a still life reminiscent of a trophy case with birds and small game, fine fruits, a pet dog and a pet monkey, arranged in front of a classicising garden sculpture with the figure ofHerculesand an opulent palace in the background. The wealth and luxurious lifestyle of the patron or owner is clearly shown.

The children's tales of the English authorBeatrix Potter,illustrated by herself, include several titles featuring the badly behavedPeter Rabbitand other rabbit characters, including her first and most successful bookThe Tale of Peter Rabbit(1902), followed byThe Tale of Benjamin Bunny(1904), andThe Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies(1909). Potter's anthropomorphic clothed rabbits are probably the most familiar artistic rabbits in the English-speaking world, no doubt influenced by illustrations byJohn Tennielof theWhite RabbitinLewis Carroll's bookAlice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Joseph Beuys,who always finds a place for a rabbit in his works, sees it as symbolizing resurrection. In the context of his action "How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare",he stated that the rabbit"...has a direct relationship to birth... For me, the rabbit is the symbol of incarnation. Because the rabbit shows in reality what man can only show in his thoughts. He buries himself, he buries himself in a depression. He incarnates himself in the earth, and that alone is important. "

Masquerade (book)(1979), written and illustrated by the artistKit Williams,is ostensibly a children's book, but contains elaborate clues to the location of a jewelled golden hare, also made by Williams, which he had buried at the location in England to which the clues in the book led. The hare was not found until 1982, in what later emerged as dubious circumstances.

The Welsh sculptorBarry Flanagan(1944-2009) was best known for his energetic bronzes of hares, which he produced throughout his career. Many have a comic element, and the length and thinness of the hare's body is often exaggerated.

Dürer'sYoung Hare

Young Hare,byAlbrecht Dürer(1502)

Wolpertinger(2005), in the style of Albrecht Dürer

Probably one of the most famous depictions of an animal in the history of European art is the paintingYoung HarebyAlbrecht Dürer,completed in 1502 and now preserved in theAlbertinain Vienna. Dürer'swatercoloris seen in the context of his other nature studies, such as his almost equally famousMeadowor hisBird Wings.He chose to paint these in watercolor orgouache,striving for the highest possible precision and "realistic" representation.

The hare pictured by Dürer probably does not have a symbolic meaning, but it does have an exceptional reception history. Reproductions of Dürer'sHarehave often been a permanent component ofbourgeoisliving rooms in Germany. The image has been printed in textbooks; published in countless reproductions; embossed in copper, wood or stone; represented three-dimensionally in plastic or plaster; encased inplexiglas;painted on ostrich eggs; printed on plastic bags; surreally distorted inHasengiraffe( "Haregiraffe" ) by Martin Missfeldt;reproduced as a joke byFluxusartists;and cast in gold; or sold cheaply ingalleriesand atart fairs

Since early 2000,Ottmar Hörlhas created several works based on Dürer'sHare,including a giant pink version.Sigmar Polkehas also engaged with the hare on paper or textiles, or as part of his installations,and even in rubber band form.Dieter Roth'sKöttelkarnikel( "Turd Bunny" ) is a copy of Dürer'sHaremade from rabbit droppings,andKlaus Staeckenclosed one in a little wooden box, with a cutout hole, so that it could look out and breathe. Dürer'sHarehas even inspired a depiction of the mythologicalWolpertinger.

Depictions of Mary Toft Birthing Rabbits

William HogarthdepictedMary Toftgiving birth to rabbits in 1726 in the etchingsCunicularii or The Wise Men of Godliman in Consultation (1726)andCredulity, Superstition, and Fanaticism(1762).Mary Toft was a woman who convinced many medical professionals and the public at the time that she was birthing rabbits, when it was, in fact, a hoax.Inspired by the work of William Hogarth, artist Amelia Biewald resurrected the story of Mary Toft into the gallery withThe Curious Case of Mary Toftin 2020.

Gallery

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  Pisanello:Vision of St. Eustace,1435
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  Edwin Landseer,Scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Titania and Bottomwith white rabbits, 1851
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  Feedingwhite rabbits,Frederick Morgan,Paris
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  TheWhite RabbitfromAlice in Wonderland
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  Rabbits eating grapes
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  Ferdinand du Puigaudeau,Chinese Schadows, the Rabbit
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  Boy and Rabbit,byHenry Raeburn1814
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  Zan Zig performing with rabbit and roses, magician poster, 1899
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  White rabbit standing,byJan Mankes,1910
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  Cunicularii or The Wise Men of Godliman in Consultation,William Hogarth,1726
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  Credulity, Superstition, and Fanaticism,William Hogarth,1762
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  The Curious Case of Mary Toft, Wallpaper, Amelia Biewald, 2019

• Sculptures and objects representing rabbits and hares
• 
  Rabbit-shaped incense burner, Japan, 19th century
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  Japanesetsubasword fitting with a "Rabbit Viewing the Autumn Moon", bronze, gold and silver, between 1670 and 1744
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  Rabbit Figurine
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  Tureen, 1754, Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory, England
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  Netsukewith rabbit

• Sculptures representing rabbits and hares
• 
  TheRabbitstatue is one of the 12Chinese zodiacportrayed in the Kowloon Walled City Park in Kowloon City, Hong Kong
• 
  Jose de Creeft,Statue of AliceinCentral Park,1959
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  Bronze hare byBarry Flanagan,inDublin
• 
  Der HasebyJürgen GoertzinNuremberg

See also

• How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare
• List of fictional hares and rabbits
• Moon gazing hare
• Moon rabbit
• Rabbits in culture and literature

Literature

• Guy de Tervarent:Attributs et symboles dans l'art profane.Genève 1997. pp. 287–288.ISBN978-2-600-00507-4
• Lexikon der christlichen Ikonographie.Established by Engelbert Kirschbaum. Ed. Wolfgang Braunfels. Herder Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau 1968–1976.ISBN978-3-451-22568-0

External links

• Windling, Terri(2005)."The Symbolism of Rabbits and Hares".Endicott Studio.Archived from the original on 3 May 2012.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
• Online-Kunst.de on hares in the arts(in German)
• Article "Hase"in:Kunstlexikonby P. W. Hartmann(in German)
• Wie erklärt man einem toten Hasen die Kunst(How to explain art to a dead hare)Fluxus-Aktion(in German)