Artwork
Still-Life with Game-Birds
Still-Life with Game-Birds is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gottfried Libalt. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1650, this oil painting presents a meticulously arranged still life centered on dead game birds and assorted hunting equipment. A young boy in a green shirt and white apron occupies the foreground, handling one of the birds, while additional fowl and vegetables are displayed on a bench and hung against a dark backdrop.
Subject & Meaning
The composition juxtaposes youthful presence with the aftermath of a hunt, reflecting 17th‑century attitudes toward game and domestic labor. The inclusion of vegetables and the boy’s attire suggest a setting linked to a hunting lodge or market, emphasizing the material wealth and culinary practices of the period.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the work demonstrates the detailed realism characteristic of the Dutch Golden Age, despite the artist’s German origins. Precise rendering of feathers, textures, and light on the dark background highlights the painter’s skill in creating depth and tactile illusion within a still‑life framework.
History & Provenance
The painting is attributed to Gottfried Libalt, a German artist who worked across Hamburg, Kraków, and Vienna, and is known for still lifes as well as landscapes and portraits. It is currently part of the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, reflecting its journey from a private or court setting to a public institution.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gottfried Libalt (1610/11 – 1 May 1673) was a German painter in the Mannerist style; known mostly for still-lifes, although he also did landscapes and portraits.
