Artwork
Riista-asetelma
Riista-asetelma is an unspecified painting by Franz Werner von Tamm. It is held in the collection of the Finnish National Gallery.
About this work
Overview
The work titled "Riista-asetelma" presents a still‑life composition in which a collection of dead birds and game rests upon a darkened surface. Alongside the animal forms are pomegranates, pears and a halved pomegranate exposing its ruby‑red seeds. The scene is set against a muted, cloud‑filled sky that hints at a distant village or trees.
Subject & Meaning
The juxtaposition of lifeless fauna with ripe fruit evokes themes of mortality and abundance, a common motif in Northern European still‑life traditions. The inclusion of pomegranates, often symbolic of regeneration, alongside the carcasses may suggest a contemplation of the cycle of life and death.
Technique & Style
The artist employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, using stark contrasts of light and shadow to model form. Thick, impasto brushstrokes render the texture of feathers and the glossy skin of the fruit, while the background remains softly diffused, emphasizing the three‑dimensionality of the central objects.
History & Provenance
No specific details about the painting’s date, creator, or ownership history are provided in the source material, limiting the ability to trace its provenance or exhibition record.
Context
The composition aligns with the 17th‑century Dutch and Finnish still‑life genre, where hunters’ trophies and fruit were combined to display technical skill and moral allegory. The dark ground and dramatic lighting echo the visual language of Baroque realism.
Artist & collection
Artist
Franz Werner von Tamm painted still lifes packed with fruit, game, and flowers, rooted in the lavish tastes of 17th‑century German courts.
Still Life with Games and Vegetables
Slaughtered Birds
Gamepiece with a Dead Heron ("Falconer's Bag")
Hunting trophies
Dead birds
Dead Game
A hunter's bag
Still life with wild fowl
Portrait of a Woman with a Photograph of a Man
Slaughtered Birds
A Still Life: Two Rabbits, a Grey Partridge, Game Bag and a Powder Flask
Dead Wildfowl