Artwork
A Pig's Carcass
A Pig's Carcass is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Adriaen van Ostade. It dates from 1665 and is held in the collection of the Kröller-Müller Museum.
About this work
Overview
Adriaen van Ostade’s oil painting, dated 1665, presents a lifelike scene of a pig carcass suspended from a wooden frame. The work is part of the collection at the Kröller‑Müller Museum, where it is displayed among other Dutch genre pieces.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a freshly slaughtered pig, its pale hide contrasted with the vivid red of its interior organs. The surrounding objects—a simple wooden backdrop and a bowl on the floor—emphasize the everyday, utilitarian context of rural life in the 17th‑century Netherlands.
Technique & Style
Van Ostade renders the animal with meticulous attention to surface texture, capturing the softness of the skin and the grain of the timber. A restrained palette of browns, grays and muted tones creates a sober atmosphere, while fine brushwork conveys the tactile qualities of flesh and wood.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑1660s, the painting eventually entered the holdings of the Kröller‑Müller Museum. Its provenance before acquisition is not extensively documented, but the work reflects the artist’s later period, when he turned to more somber, realistic subjects.
Artist & collection
Artist
Adriaen van Ostade (baptized as Adriaen Jansz Hendricx 10 December 1610 – buried 2 May 1685) was a Dutch Golden Age painter of genre works, showing the everyday life of ordinary men and women.
