Artwork
An Eagle among Small Birds
An Eagle among Small Birds is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Adriaen van Utrecht. It dates from 1633 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Technique & Style
Created in 1633, An Eagle among Small Birds is an oil painting executed on canvas by Adriaen van Utrecht. The work measures 79.5 cm in height and 116.5 cm in width. Classified within the genre of animal art, the composition centers on the depiction of an eagle alongside smaller avian figures. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
History & Provenance
Its provenance traces directly to the Statens Museum for Kunst, which acquired it and catalogued it under the inception date of 1633-01-01.
Adriaen van Utrecht painted An Eagle among Small Birds in 1633, an oil on canvas measuring 795 by 1165 centimeters. The work entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display.
The painting was created as an animal piece featuring an eagle, reflecting van Utrecht's specialization in this genre. Its provenance traces directly to the Statens Museum for Kunst, which acquired it and catalogued it under the inception date of 1633-01-01.
An Eagle among Small Birds, painted by Adriaen van Utrecht in 1633, is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark. The work is catalogued as part of the museum's holdings, with its oil-on-canvas support measuring 795 mm in height and 1165 mm in width.
No exhibition history is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Adriaen van Utrecht, a Flemish artist active in the early 1600s, painted An Eagle among Small Birds in 1633 with oil on canvas. The composition places a dominant eagle, wings outstretched, amid a cluster of diminutive birds, set against a dark, indistinct background that heightens the contrast between predator and prey.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures a moment of predatory aggression: the eagle’s beak pierces the plumage of one small bird while others either flee or lie motionless. By juxtaposing the powerful raptor with fragile avian figures, the painting may comment on the natural hierarchy of life, echoing contemporary interests in the drama of the animal kingdom.
Artist & collection
Artist
Adriaen van Utrecht (Antwerp, 12 January 1599 – 1652) was a Flemish painter known mainly for his sumptuous banquet still lifes, game and fruit still lifes, fruit garlands, market and kitchen scenes and depictions of live poultry in…
