Who painted Dead birds and a cat?

Dead birds and a cat was painted by Alexander Adriaenssen.

Where can I see Dead birds and a cat?

Dead birds and a cat is held by National Museum in Warsaw.

What movement is Dead birds and a cat?

Dead birds and a cat is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Artwork

Dead birds and a cat

Alexander Adriaenssen

Dead birds and a cat is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Alexander Adriaenssen. It is held in the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw.

About this work

Overview

Alexander Adriaenssen, a Flemish painter of the Baroque era, created the oil painting *Dead birds and a cat* in 1700. The work belongs to the still‑life genre that flourished in the Dutch Golden Age, assembling a tableau of game birds and a domestic cat rendered with careful observation.

Subject & Meaning

At the centre of the composition a cat sits, its gaze directed forward, surrounded by a variety of dead birds—pigeons, sparrows and other small fowl—scattered across a floor and a low table. The juxtaposition of the predator and its prey evokes the transience of life and the commonplace hunt, themes common in 17th‑century Northern European still lifes.

Technique & Style

Adriaenssen employed oil on canvas to achieve a high degree of naturalism. The palette is restrained, favoring muted earth tones that enhance the somber atmosphere. Fine brushwork delineates the texture of feathers and fur, while subtle chiaroscuro models the forms and gives the scene a three‑dimensional presence.

History & Provenance

The painting was executed near the end of Adriaenssen’s career, after decades of producing still lifes focused on fish and game. Though specific ownership records are scarce, the work has been documented in collections of Flemish Baroque art and continues to be cited as an example of the period’s realistic animal genre scenes.

Artist & collection

Artist

Alexander Adriaenssen

Alexander Adriaenssen (1587–1661) was a Flemish Baroque painter, particularly known for his still-lifes of fish and game pieces. He also painted banquet pieces with food and flower still lifes.