Stillleben mit Schweinskeule und Eichhörnchen

Horemans employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, allowing light to strike the glazed surfaces of the meat and fruit while the surrounding space recedes into darkness. This contrast gives the roasted shank a tactile realism, as the glaze and rendered fat appear almost palpable. The painter’s handling of texture—smooth skin, crisp crust, and the fur of the squirrel—demonstrates a careful observation of material qualities typical of Rococo still‑life practice.

The Flemish artist Peter Jacob Horemans, trained in Antwerp, spent much of his career serving German courts, where he supplied aristocratic patrons with genre scenes, portraits, and still‑lifes. This particular work entered the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of 18th‑century European painting, illustrating Horemans’ role as a court painter and his contribution to the period’s decorative arts.