Dead Game

Pieter Andreas Rysbrack 1684/90 - 1748

Summary

In Europe in the 18th century, paintings of dead game birds were equivalent to hunting trophies, implying that their owners enjoyed an upper class country life. The dead birds in a landscape setting have been placed at the base of a tree, surrounded by objects associated with hunting, such as the flask, pouch and netting on which they lie. Pieter Andries Rysbrack was a master in Antwerp, until in 1720 he moved to England to make a living painting views of aristocratic country estates. He also specialised in Flemish-style still lifes and game pieces. Here, Rysbrack depicts a pheasant, a long billed woodcock, a wood pigeon, a snipe and a hanging partridge, demonstrating great skill in painting their feathers. The bright red breast of the pheasant is painted in a different style and is probably by a later hand.

Display Label

Dead Game 1740 Pieter Andries Rysbrack about 1684/90-1748 Oil on canvas Paintings of dead game birds were seen as hunting trophies, and suggested the idea of upper class country life. Such subjects originated in the Southern Netherlands in the 1600s and continued in the next century in the work of Rysbrack and others. Rysbrack's family were from Antwerp, although he was born in Paris and moved to London in 1720 to paint views of aristocratic country estates. Here, Rysbrack depicts a pheasant, pigeon, hanging partridge, long billed woodcock and a snipe, demonstrating great skill in painting their feathers. However the bright red chest of the pheasant is painted in a different style, so it is probably by a later hand. Gift from Mrs Robert Hatton 1908.36