Artwork
Eviscerated Ox
Eviscerated Ox is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Marten van Cleve. It dates from 1566 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Overview
Marten van Cleve the Elder, a Flemish painter active in mid‑16th‑century Antwerp, produced the oil painting *Eviscerated Ox* in 1566. The work depicts a slaughter scene within a dim interior, where a gutted ox hangs from the rafters while figures attend to the carcass. It exemplifies the Northern Renaissance’s focus on everyday labor and is part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of domestic items such as a bowl, a dog, and tiled flooring underscores the routine, industrious atmosphere of a market or household setting.
The central motif is a yellow‑toned ox, its head removed and its entrails displayed, emphasizing the raw reality of butchery. Surrounding characters—one wielding a large knife, another seated and observing—suggest a communal involvement in the preparation of meat. The inclusion of domestic items such as a bowl, a dog, and tiled flooring underscores the routine, industrious atmosphere of a market or household setting.
Technique & Style
Van Cleve employs chiaroscuro to model the forms, allowing the illuminated ox to dominate the composition while the surrounding space recedes into shadow. The palette combines muted earth tones with occasional red and blue accents on the animal’s hide. The handling of oil paint reveals fine detail in the textures of flesh, fur, and tile, aligning the piece with the detailed genre tradition of the Northern Renaissance.
History & Provenance
Created during Van Cleve’s productive period between 1551 and 1581, the painting reflects the artist’s interest in genre scenes similar to those of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. After remaining in private hands for several centuries, *Eviscerated Ox* entered the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s holdings, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s representation of Flemish Renaissance art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Marten van Cleve the Elder (Antwerp, c. 1527 – Antwerp, before 24 November 1581) was a Flemish painter and draftsman active in Antwerp between 1551 and 1581. Van Cleve is mainly known for his genre scenes with peasants…
