Artwork
Still Life with Game on a Table
Still Life with Game on a Table is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Adriaen van Utrecht. It dates from 1635 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. Created circa 1635, this oil painting presents a banquet table crowded with an assortment of hunted animals.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1635, this oil painting presents a banquet table crowded with an assortment of hunted animals. The composition showcases a variety of game—birds, rabbits and fish—arranged in a seemingly casual pile that emphasizes abundance. The work belongs to the Flemish Baroque tradition and is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst.
Subject & Meaning
The painting illustrates a typical 17th‑century still‑life theme of mortality and plenty, juxtaposing the lifelike rendering of dead game with the luxurious setting of a banquet. By gathering multiple species together, the artist underscores the wealth and hunting prowess of his patrons, while also hinting at the fleeting nature of such opulence.
Technique & Style
A careful observation of texture reveals meticulous brushwork: the plumage of the birds is rendered with fine, layered strokes, the rabbit fur appears soft through subtle tonal shifts, and the fish glisten with a luminous sheen. Strong chiaroscuro models the forms, creating depth and directing the eye across the crowded surface.
History & Provenance
Adriaen van Utrecht, a Flemish painter active in the early to mid‑1600s, produced this work as part of his prolific output of banquet and hunting scenes. He worked alongside contemporaries such as Frans Snyders in developing the lavish still‑life genre. The painting entered the collection of Denmark’s national gallery, Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display.
Artist & collection
Artist
Adriaen van Utrecht (Antwerp, 12 January 1599 – 1652) was a Flemish painter known mainly for his sumptuous banquet still lifes, game and fruit still lifes, fruit garlands, market and kitchen scenes and depictions of live poultry in…
