"Fox and Hare"

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the most widespread wild canid in Europe, found from deep forests to the edges of cultivated fields. Opportunistic and cunning, it hunts alone at dawn or dusk, guided by remarkably sharp hearing that allows it to locate prey from a distance. The brown hare (Lepus europaeus), a dweller of open plains, is among its emblematic prey: its speed and unpredictable zigzags nonetheless make it a formidable opponent, one the fox can only surprise through a patient approach.

The fox is shown standing on an old stump rendered in graphite, its catch held firmly in its jaws. The composition focuses everything on the gaze: the amber eyes, fixed on the viewer, betray neither triumph nor violence — only the quiet fulfilment of the predator. The blazing red of the coat contrasts with the muted brown of the hare, while the background of warm ochre and blue-grey washes strips the scene of all context to keep only the essential: a moment of wild life, without judgement.