Artwork
After the Boar Hunt.

After the Boar Hunt. is an oil painting by the Realist artist Otto Bache. It dates from 1888 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Otto Bache’s 1888 oil painting *After the Boar Hunt* captures a quiet moment following a rural chase. Set inside a modest interior, a seated hunter rests with a rifle while three dogs cluster around a slain boar. A child observes the scene, and hunting paraphernalia line the walls, creating a narrative tableau of post‑hunt domesticity.
Subject & Meaning
The composition juxtaposes the vigor of the hunt with the calm of the home environment, suggesting a transition from wild pursuit to settled life. The presence of the child implies the transmission of hunting tradition, while the dogs’ attentive posture underscores loyalty and the practical aftermath of the chase.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, Bache employs careful modeling of fur and hide to convey texture, while a pronounced chiaroscuro lends depth to the interior space. The realistic rendering aligns with the Danish Realist tradition, emphasizing faithful observation of figures, animals, and material details rather than idealized abstraction.
History & Provenance
Created toward the end of Bache’s career, the work reflects his long association with the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and his interest in genre scenes. *After the Boar Hunt* entered the collection of Denmark’s national gallery, Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of 19th‑century Danish art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Otto Bache (21 August 1839 – 28 June 1927) was a Danish Realist painter best known for his depictions of historical scenes, animal studies, genre compositions, and portraits.
















