Who painted Trompe l'Oeil with Dead Duck and Hunting Implements?

Trompe l'Oeil with Dead Duck and Hunting Implements was painted by Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts in 1672.

Where can I see Trompe l'Oeil with Dead Duck and Hunting Implements?

Trompe l'Oeil with Dead Duck and Hunting Implements is held by Statens Museum for Kunst.

What movement is Trompe l'Oeil with Dead Duck and Hunting Implements?

Trompe l'Oeil with Dead Duck and Hunting Implements is associated with Flemish Baroque painting.

Artwork

Trompe l'Oeil with Dead Duck and Hunting Implements

Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts , 1672

Trompe l'Oeil with Dead Duck and Hunting Implements is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts. It dates from 1672 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

About this work

Overview

The work depicts a dead duck together with a sword, powder horn and a decorated bag, all rendered so they seem to hang on a light‑toned wooden panel.

Created in 1672, this oil painting by Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts exemplifies the Flemish Baroque fascination with illusion. The work depicts a dead duck together with a sword, powder horn and a decorated bag, all rendered so they seem to hang on a light‑toned wooden panel. The composition is designed to trick the eye, making the objects appear as tangible three‑dimensional items rather than painted surfaces.

Subject & Meaning

The central motif—a freshly shot duck—along with hunting accessories, references the sport of the aristocracy and the fleeting nature of its spoils. By presenting the items as if they were nailed to a wall, the artist invites contemplation of the boundary between representation and reality, a common preoccupation in trompe‑l’œil works that playfully question visual perception.

Technique & Style

Gijsbrechts employs a rigorous chiaroscuro, using strong contrasts of light and shadow to model the duck’s glossy feathers and the metallic sheen of the sword. Meticulous brushwork captures the wood grain and the texture of the powder horn, while subtle gradations create the illusion of depth, allowing the viewer to sense volume and spatial placement on a flat surface.

History & Provenance

The Flemish painter, active across the Spanish Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden, later served as court painter to the Danish royal family. This particular piece entered the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of 17th‑century Dutch and Flemish art.

Context

During the mid‑late 1600s, trompe‑l’œil still lifes enjoyed popularity among collectors who prized technical virtuosity. Gijsbrechts specialized in this genre, producing works that challenged viewers’ expectations and demonstrated the painter’s command of perspective, a skill highly valued in the Baroque period’s broader interest in dramatic visual effects.

Artist & collection

Artist

Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts

Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts (1625/1629 – after 1675), was a Flemish painter who was active in the Spanish Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden in the second half of the seventeenth century.

Museum

Statens Museum for Kunst

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