Artwork
Dead Wildfowl
Dead Wildfowl is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob Biltius. It dates from 1674 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Dead Wildfowl is a 17th-century oil painting by Jacob Biltius, a Dutch artist known for his still lifes featuring game.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a still life arrangement of dead birds, including a large white bird with brown markings and smaller birds, suspended from a red ribbon or lying on a table, accompanied by red berries and twigs.
Technique & Style
Biltius employed chiaroscuro to create a sense of depth and volume, using contrasting light and shadow to enhance the realism of the scene.
History & Provenance
Created in 1674, Dead Wildfowl is characteristic of the Dutch Golden Age, a period of significant artistic and cultural development in the Netherlands.
Context
The work is part of a broader category of game still lifes, a genre in which Biltius was active during his career, which spanned multiple Dutch cities.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob Biltius or Jacobus Biltius (The Hague, baptized 27 November 1633 – Bergen op Zoom, 8 February 1681) was a Dutch still life painter originally from The Hague who worked in various places including The Hague,…
