Artwork
The Leap of the Rabbit
The Leap of the Rabbit is an oil painting by the Cubism Analytic artist Amadeo de Souza Cardoso. It dates from 1911 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
This synthesis emphasizes the visual elements and symbolic resonance of the composition without extending beyond the documented attributes of the painting.
The painting depicts a rabbit in mid-leap amid stylized plant forms and a flower, arranged in a composition that blends naturalistic detail with expressive abstraction. The subject draws on recurring motifs in Cardoso’s work that symbolize vitality and movement, reflecting his interest in the dynamic relationship between nature and form. The rabbit’s leap is interpreted as a metaphor for spiritual ascent and the cyclical renewal of life, aligning with early 20th-century artistic explorations of symbolism in figuration.
Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 499 cm in height by 608 cm in width and is housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
This synthesis emphasizes the visual elements and symbolic resonance of the composition without extending beyond the documented attributes of the painting.
Technique & Style
The Leap of the Rabbit is an oil painting executed on canvas. According to the Wikidata record, the work measures 499 in height and 608 in width, and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The painting depicts a rabbit amid plants and flowers, rendered in oil paint on canvas.
The composition pairs a single animal subject with botanical elements, situating the rabbit within a setting of flora. The canvas support provides a broad field for the imagery, and the oil medium allows for the kind of layered handling associated with Souza-Cardoso's early work. No further information on condition, stylistic classification, or specific painterly technique is documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The painting The Leap of the Rabbit was created in 1911 by Portuguese artist Amadeo de Souza Cardoso. It is an oil on canvas work depicting a rabbit, plant, and flower. The artwork entered the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remains on view.
The Leap of the Rabbit is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, as recorded in the work's Wikidata entry, which lists both the collection and the location of the painting as the Art Institute of Chicago.
No inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented in the materials supplied.
Overview
Amadeo de Souza‑Cardoso painted The Leap of the Rabbit in 1911 with oil on canvas. The work belongs to the analytic Cubist vein of early twentieth‑century modernism and is presently part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection.
Context
The early 1910s saw Portuguese artists seeking dialogue with Parisian movements, and Souza‑Cardoso’s work reflects this cross‑cultural exchange. By integrating Cubist analysis with a distinctly Portuguese sensibility toward nature, the piece illustrates the diffusion of avant‑garde ideas beyond France into Southern Europe.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso (14 November 1887 – 25 October 1918) was a Portuguese painter.
