Artwork
Reynard Asks the Ram to Deliver a Document
Reynard Asks the Ram to Deliver a Document is an ink print by the Baroque artist Allart van Everdingen. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Around 1650 the Dutch artist Jan Everdingen created an etching titled *Reynard Asks the Ram to Deliver a Document*. The print captures a moment from the medieval Reynard the Fox cycle, portraying the cunning fox confronting a placid ram with a rolled parchment. The composition includes a distant building, trees, and modest dwellings that frame the encounter.
Subject & Meaning
In the scene the fox, standing upright on its hind legs, holds a scroll and addresses the ram, who sits calmly on the ground. The interaction suggests a delivery of a message—perhaps a deceitful request, reflecting the fox’s reputation for trickery in the Reynard narratives. The ram’s composed demeanor contrasts with the fox’s alert posture, underscoring the tale’s moral tension.
Technique & Style
Everdingen employed the etching process, incising fine lines into a copper plate to render texture and detail. The work demonstrates careful hatching to suggest fur, grass, and architectural elements, while varying line density creates depth. The monochrome medium emphasizes the interplay of light and shadow, characteristic of mid‑seventeenth‑century Dutch printmaking.
History & Provenance
The print originates from Everdingen’s mature period, when he was active as both painter and printmaker in the Dutch Golden Age. Though specific ownership records are scarce, the work has appeared in several catalogues of Dutch etchings and is held in public collections that specialize in seventeenth‑century prints.
Context
Reynard the Fox was a popular literary source across Europe, inspiring visual artists to depict its anthropomorphic characters. Everdingen’s choice of this episode aligns with a broader Dutch interest in moralizing animal fables, which served both decorative and didactic purposes in domestic interiors of the time.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Allaert van Everdingen (Dutch pronunciation: ; bapt. 18 June 1621 – 8 November 1675 (buried)), was a Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker in etching and mezzotint.
