Who painted Deer, Dog and Cat?

Deer, Dog and Cat was painted by Charles Jervas in 1730.

Where can I see Deer, Dog and Cat?

Deer, Dog and Cat is held by Hermitage Museum.

What movement is Deer, Dog and Cat?

Deer, Dog and Cat is associated with Rococo painting.

Artwork

Deer, Dog and Cat

Charles Jervas , 1730

Deer, Dog and Cat is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Charles Jervas. It dates from 1730 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1730 by the Irish painter Charles Jervas, Deer, Dog and Cat is an oil on canvas work that belongs to the early Rococo period. The composition brings together three animals in a single scene, presenting a moment of tension and contrast within a domestic interior setting.

Subject & Meaning

The painting captures a deer ensnared in a tree branch, its limbs trapped while a dog bites at its leg, and a cat perched nearby, seemingly indifferent, with a dead bird at its feet. The juxtaposition of the vulnerable prey, the aggressive canine, and the detached feline invites contemplation of the natural hierarchy and the unpredictability of animal behavior.

Technique & Style

Jervas employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, using deep shadows to isolate the figures from the muted background. The deer’s coat is rendered with a luminous quality that draws the eye, while the dog and cat are modeled in darker tones, enhancing the dramatic contrast typical of Rococo’s decorative yet dynamic visual language.

History & Provenance

The work reflects Jervas’s dual role as painter and collector in early eighteenth‑century Britain. Though specific ownership records are scarce, the painting has remained within private collections before entering a public museum inventory in the late twentieth century, where it is displayed as an example of Jervas’s lesser‑known genre scenes.