Who painted Hunting still life with swan?

Hunting still life with swan was painted by Jan Weenix in 1702.

Where can I see Hunting still life with swan?

Hunting still life with swan is held by Bavarian State Painting Collections.

What movement is Hunting still life with swan?

Hunting still life with swan is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Artwork

Hunting still life with swan

Jan Weenix , 1702

Hunting still life with swan is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Weenix. It dates from 1702 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

About this work

Overview

Jan Weenix’s 1702 oil painting *Hunting still life with swan* presents a richly detailed tableau of a hunt’s aftermath. Set on a wooden table, the composition combines a standing figure in a blue coat, a large dog, a dead swan, assorted birds, and a rabbit still furred, alongside hunting implements, a vase of flowers, and a distant statue. The work is held in the Alte Pinakothek collection.

Subject & Meaning

The image juxtaposes the living hunter and his companion with the lifeless game, a common motif in Dutch still‑life that underscores the abundance and skill associated with aristocratic sport. The inclusion of a swan, a bird prized for its size and rarity, alongside more modest fowl and a rabbit, creates a hierarchy of trophies that reflects social status and the triumph of man over nature.

Technique & Style

Weenix employs a refined chiaroscuro, allowing light to strike the plumage of the swan and the fur of the rabbit, rendering them with a tactile realism.

Weenix employs a refined chiaroscuro, allowing light to strike the plumage of the swan and the fur of the rabbit, rendering them with a tactile realism. The brushwork is meticulous in the rendering of feathers and metal, while broader strokes suggest the texture of the tablecloth and background drapery. The palette balances cool blues of the coat with warm earth tones of the game, enhancing depth.

History & Provenance

Created during the later phase of the Dutch Golden Age, the painting exemplifies Weenix’s mature period, when he focused almost exclusively on hunting subjects. After remaining in private Dutch collections for much of the 18th and 19th centuries, the canvas entered the holdings of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s Dutch Baroque holdings.

Context

In the early 18th century, still‑life paintings of game served both decorative and didactic purposes, celebrating the prosperity of the Dutch mercantile class. Weenix, trained by his father Jacob and cousin Philips Wouwerman, inherited a family tradition of animal and landscape painting, adapting it to the tastes of wealthy patrons who commissioned such works for country estates and urban homes.