Artwork
Still Life of Game with four Plovers
Still Life of Game with four Plovers is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Philips Angel. It dates from 1659 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.
About this work
Overview
Philips Angel’s oil painting Still Life of Game with Four Plovers dates to around 1659 and is part of the Ashmolean Museum’s collection. The work presents a tabletop arrangement of game birds, focusing on four plovers rendered with meticulous naturalism.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on four plovers, one positioned upright while the others lie prostrate, suggesting a quiet moment after a hunt. By isolating the birds on a simple surface, the painting invites contemplation of mortality and the material culture of 17th‑century Dutch still‑life traditions.
Technique & Style
Angel employs chiaroscuro, contrasting bright illumination on the plumage with deep shadows to model form and convey volume. Thick applications of paint, characteristic of impasto, give the feathers a tactile surface, enhancing the illusion of texture and three‑dimensionality.
History & Provenance
Created in the late 1650s, the painting entered the Ashmolean Museum’s holdings in the 20th century, where it remains on display as an example of Dutch Golden Age still‑life painting.
Artist & collection
