{"id":7083,"date":"2019-04-23T06:16:51","date_gmt":"2019-04-23T05:16:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=7083"},"modified":"2026-01-20T18:31:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T17:31:05","slug":"durer-hare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/durer-hare\/","title":{"rendered":"D\u00fcrer&#8217;s Young Hare"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/duerersmall.jpg\" alt=\"Albrecht D\u00fcrer's logo\" class=\"wp-image-15203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/duerersmall.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/duerersmall-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The world has quite a few paintings. But only a handful become seen as true masterpieces. D\u00fcrer&#8217;s <em>Young Hare<\/em> is one of them: a 1502 watercolour that now lives in Vienna&#8217;s Albertina art museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>One of the most famous paintings in Europe<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rarely on public display; last seen in 2020<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8230;but you might be lucky<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Next appearance: Jun 19 to Oct 11, 2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Find other D\u00fcrer works in the Kunsthistorisches Museum<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/albertina-museum-tickets-l145708\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_AlbVenue\" rel=\"sponsored\">Albertina tickets<\/a>*<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/albertina\/\">Albertina info for visitors<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/top-10-art\/\">Top art in Vienna<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-can-i-see-the-hare\">How can I see the Hare?<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/younghare.jpg\" alt=\"Hare painting\" class=\"wp-image-31024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/younghare.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/younghare-272x300.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Albrecht D\u00fcrer, Hare, 1502; watercolour and gouache, brush, heightened with white gouache; press photo \u00a9 The Albertina Museum, Vienna)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can&#8217;t actually see it. Well, sometimes you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>D\u00fcrer&#8217;s Hare is a sensitive and precious thing, so the Albertina does not have it on permanent display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, the museum stores our furry friend away under careful conditions to ensure its preservation for future generations. You usually find a copy displayed in the room at the end of the self-guided <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/albertina-staterooms\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2997\">tour of the staterooms<\/a> that comes with an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/albertina-museum-tickets-l145708\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_AlbVenue\" rel=\"sponsored\">Albertina ticket<\/a>*.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the original wouldn&#8217;t be worth preserving at all if we couldn&#8217;t see it now and then. And so the hare pops out of its secure burrow every few years or so.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/duererposter.jpg\" alt=\"D\u00fcrer exhibition poster\" class=\"wp-image-49357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/duererposter.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/duererposter-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The poster advertises the last exhibition to feature the hare back in 2019\/2020)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The last such occasion was the Albertina&#8217;s rather wonderful <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/durer-exhibition\/\">D\u00fcrer exhibition<\/a>, which ended in 2020. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/events\/exhibitions\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"37363\">Check what&#8217;s on<\/a>: the hare looks to be emerging in 2026 for the museum&#8217;s <em>Collecting for the Future<\/em> exhibition that plans to run from June 19th to October 11th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In centuries past, the hare played a significant role in art exhibitions. One newspaper announcing a new D\u00fcrer exhibition in Vienna in 1871, for example, included the hare on its list of prominent works to look out for, noting (my translation):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Probably the only real example of this illustration, which can be found as copies in so many collections <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><em>Ad:<\/em><br><\/div><div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-cards-layout=\"horizontal\" data-content-type=\"product\" data-content-ids=\"974335,1007837\" data-partner=\"visitingvienna\" data-tq-campaign=\"DA_Albertina\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-painting\">The painting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>D\u00fcrer completed the work in 1502, and we can thank Emperor Rudolf II (1552 &#8211; 1612) for bringing it under Habsburg ownership later that century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just to put the date of origin into perspective: Henry VIII of England had yet to marry any of his six wives, and the Mona Lisa was just a blank wood panel in a Florence art supplies catalogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Albertina is rightly proud of its animal portrait. You can tell this from a visit to the museum shop, which has its fair share of hare-themed souvenirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>D\u00fcrer&#8217;s masterpiece is certainly the museum&#8217;s most renowned possession, and I&#8217;d rank it as the second <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/top-10-art\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"24882\">most important piece of art<\/a> in Vienna after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/belvedere-sites\/kiss\/\">Klimt&#8217;s Kiss<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"329\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/duererselfportrait.jpg\" alt=\"Self-portrait of Albrecht D\u00fcrer\" class=\"wp-image-61565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/duererselfportrait.jpg 329w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/duererselfportrait-219x300.jpg 219w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 329px) 100vw, 329px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(An etching of Albrecht D\u00fcrer by the printmaker Wenceslaus Hollar in 1645, based on an earlier self-portrait by D\u00fcrer. Image courtesy of the Rijksmuseum)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The relatively small watercolour measures around 25 cm by 22.5 cm, with just the hare and little else. I&#8217;ll leave it to the experts to describe the artistic qualities, but it makes quite an impact when you actually see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apart from the simple, yet mind-blowing, idea that it&#8217;s over 500 years old, you have the remarkable detail: the individual hairs, shades and colours that combine to produce a near-photographic quality to the painting. And not forgetting the accuracy of the bone structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider the hare&#8217;s eyes, for example: expressive and including a reflection of a window within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>D\u00fcrer&#8217;s AD mark rounds off the visual impression, squatting below the animal like a marketing logo from a time when a brand was something you only found on cattle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Should you get to see it, the quiet reverence of the surrounding onlookers only enhances the viewing experience. All of us know we&#8217;re witnessing something rare and beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, yes, the Young Hare&#8217;s pretty special. Catch it if you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Assuming, however, the long-eared object of desire remains under lock and key during your visit to Vienna, the city has another option for those seeking D\u00fcrer&#8217;s work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/khm\/paintings\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1487\">picture gallery<\/a> of the Kunsthistorisches Museum usually has selected paintings by D\u00fcrer on permanent display, including his 1519 portrait of Emperor Maximilian I.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The world has quite a few paintings. But only a handful become seen as true masterpieces. D\u00fcrer&#8217;s Young Hare is one of them: a 1502 watercolour that now lives in Vienna&#8217;s Albertina art museum. How can I see the Hare? (Albrecht D\u00fcrer, Hare, 1502; watercolour and gouache, brush, heightened with white gouache; press photo \u00a9 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7083","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-museums","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7083"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7083\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88121,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7083\/revisions\/88121"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}