Hare

One of the best-known imitators of D�rer’s works, in particular of his animal studies, was the Nuremberg artist Hans Hoffmann. From 1582 he was the court painter of Emperor Rudolph II, a great admirer and collector of Albrecht D�rer’s work. The depiction of a hare from above, based on a lost original, bears D�rer’s signature. But its date, the year of D�rer’s death, suggests that this sheet is not authentic. The formulaic brushstrokes in the hare’s fur and the dotted strokes on its ears are characteristic of Hofmann’s method of painting.