The Three Hares Motif: Three hares motif is a symbol involving three
hares that are chasing each other around in a continuous circle. The three
hares are connected by their ears, and each ear is attached to two different
hares. The exact origin of this motif is not known because it has been used so
widely and for so long, creating a very complex history. The Three Hares
Project is researching and documenting the use of this image in an effort to
learn more about it. The website of the project states, “the motif to be an extraordinary and ancient
archetype, stretching across diverse religions and cultures, many centuries and
many thousands of miles. It is part of the shared medieval heritage of Europe
and Asia (Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism) yet still inspires creative
work among contemporary artists.” (http://www.chrischapmanphotography.co.uk/hares/)
Its meaning has yet to be fully
determined, but there are some possible associations that have been suggested.
For example, the rabbit has often appeared in mythology because of its skittish
behavior and ability to disappear so easily, leading some to consider it even
magical. There are some ancient cultures who even believed it was
hermaphroditic and could thus procreate without losing its virginity, this is a
possible reason for association with Christianity. Again the Three Hares
Project states: “The three hares motif was clearly revered in all the different
contexts in which it is found, but, as yet, we have not come across a
contemporary written record of its meaning. It may be expected that the motif
would have had different meanings in different cultures but, as an archetype,
perhaps there was an element of meaning common to all.” (http://www.chrischapmanphotography.co.uk/hares/index.html)
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| This Carving is on the ceiling of a church in Devon, England(http://www.chrischapmanphotography.co.uk/hares/) |
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| This example is from the Dunhuang Museum in China(http://chinesepuzzles.org/three-hares/) |
Jeff Koons, "Rabbit": “Rabbit”
is a more contemporary piece of art that involves the rabbit. Jeff Koons
created it in 1986. He purchased the Mylar balloon at the store and then had it
cast in ultra-polished stainless steel. The sculpture is a commentary on the
consumerist tendencies of people in society. The sculpture looks like it would
be a lightweight balloon but in reality it is a solid, heavy object and its
shiny, reflective surface is intended to draw the viewer in. He included a
carrot in the rabbit’s paw as a play on the stereotypical image that comes to
mind when we picture a rabbit in our culture. An article for the Chicago Museum
of contemporary Art gives us Koons’ own explanation: “According
to Koons, ‘Polished objects have often been displayed by the church and by
wealthy people to set a stage of both material security and enlightenment of
spiritual nature; the stainless steel is a fake reflection of that stage.’”
"Feeding the Rabbits” by Frederick Morgan: I was
unable to find an explanation of the painting itself, but I believe that this
painting is fairly self-explanatory. The artist lived from 1856-1927 and he was
pulled out of school at the age of 16 to be tutored by his father in art. His
paintings of choice later in life represent countryside scenes that often
relate to childhood. This idea of rabbits relating to childhood and innocence
is one that is a common one, as explained in later posts relating to film and
literature. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Morgan_(painter)
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