Still Life with Fowl

Willem van Aelst, 1658

Two dead roosters, a water rail, and a kingfisher hang from cords upside down above a marble slab. Are the flies on them painted, or real? Willem van Aelst not only imitated what he saw, but also transformed it into an elegant composition. The subtle grey, violet, and blue hues make this a special painting, which was already a sought-after collector's item in its own time.

  • Artwork typepainting
  • Object numberSK-A-1669
  • Dimensionsheight 95 cm x width 78.5 cm, depth 8 cm
  • Physical characteristicsoil on canvas

Identification

  • Title(s)

    • Still life with Poultry
    • Still Life with Fowl

  • Object type

  • Object number

    SK-A-1669

  • Description

    Stilleven met gevogelte: twee hanen, een ijsvogel en een kemphaan zijn opgehangen aan hun poten.

  • Inscriptions / marks

    signature and date: ‘Willem van Aelst alias de [stokmannetje] Aº 1658 5/26’

Creation

  • Creation

    painter: Willem van Aelst

  • Dating

    1658

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Material and technique

  • Physical description

    oil on canvas

  • Dimensions

    • height 95 cm x width 78.5 cm
    • depth 8 cm

This work is about

  • Subject

Acquisition and rights

  • Credit line

    Purchased with the support of the Vereniging Rembrandt

  • Acquisition

    purchase 1896-03

  • Copyright

    Public domain

Documentation

Persistent URL

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