Who painted Meal with a Mouse and a Parrot?

Meal with a Mouse and a Parrot was painted by Georg Flegel in 1650-01-01.

Where can I see Meal with a Mouse and a Parrot?

Meal with a Mouse and a Parrot is held by Bavarian State Painting Collections.

What movement is Meal with a Mouse and a Parrot?

Meal with a Mouse and a Parrot is associated with Biedermeier.

Artwork

Meal with a Mouse and a Parrot

Georg Flegel

Meal with a Mouse and a Parrot is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Georg Flegel. It is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The parrot’s presence may also allude to exotic luxury or the transience of beauty, common motifs in contemporary still-life painting.

The still life centers on a tabletop meal featuring a wine glass, grapes, figs, and confectionery, accompanied by a live parrot perched on the edge and a house mouse positioned near the food. These elements align with the Northern European tradition of vanitas imagery, where everyday objects carry layered meanings: the perishable fruits and sweets evoke the fleeting nature of earthly pleasures, while the animate creatures, a caged parrot and a wild mouse, suggest the tension between domestication and untamed life. The parrot’s presence may also allude to exotic luxury or the transience of beauty, common motifs in contemporary still-life painting.

Technique & Style

Meal with a Mouse and a Parrot is an oil painting on wood panel executed in 1650 by Georg Flegel.

The composition is a still-life arrangement of everyday objects: a wine glass, grapes, a fig, confections, a house mouse, and a parrot, rendered with fine detail and delicate modeling of light and shadow. Flegel’s technique emphasizes meticulous observation of textures and surfaces, from the translucency of the glass to the softness of the fruit’s skin and the glossy plumage of the parrot. The subdued palette and restrained highlights contribute to a quiet, contemplative mood, characteristic of the Northern European still-life tradition of the mid-seventeenth century.

History & Provenance

The painting Meal with a Mouse and a Parrot is attributed to the German artist Georg Flegel and dates to 1650. Executed in oil on wood, the work measures 22 cm in height and 28 cm in width. It depicts a still life arrangement featuring a house mouse, a parrot, grapes, a wine glass, a fig, and confections. The piece is currently held within the Bavarian State Painting Collections, specifically at the Alte Pinakothek.

The painting is held in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, as part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. It is catalogued as an oil-on-wood panel measuring 22 cm in height by 28 cm in width, dated to 1650.

No exhibition history is documented in the available sources for this work.

Overview

Georg Flegel, an early 17th-century German still-life painter from Frankfurt, created Meal with a Mouse and a Parrot. This painting on wood presents a detailed domestic scene, combining a simple spread of food with the surprising presence of a house mouse and a parrot. It is a notable example of his work within the genre and is housed in the collection of the Alte Pinakothek.

Artist & collection

Artist

Georg Flegel

Georg Flegel (c. 1566 – 23 March 1638) was a German painter, best known for his still-life works. Born in Olomouc, he later worked in Frankfurt, where he became a leading figure in early German still-life painting.