Willem Van Aelst Still után

The 69 × 56 cm oil on canvas painting recalls the classical line of Dutch Baroque still life painting. The composition with the pheasant suspended upside down and the hunting equipment placed beside it is based on Willem van Aelst's famous painting "Still Life with Hunting Equipment and Dead Birds". The meticulous, naturalistic execution of the work and the strong light-shadow effect follow the 17th-century chiaroscuro tradition, while it is a reimagining created with the academic techniques of the late 19th century. The depth of the dark background and the play of light on the pheasant's golden plumage give the painting a special plasticity. The painting is not an original but a careful studio copy made for the study of old masters, which could be one of the most beautiful late examples of the tradition of Baroque hunting still life from the Hungarian or Viennese academic circle.