Artwork
A Hare and Birds
A Hare and Birds is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Jan Fyt. It dates from 1646 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Jan Fyt's A Hare and Birds is a still life painting that depicts a hare alongside birds, combining two of the most common motifs in seventeenth-century Flemish hunting and game pieces. The pairing of a rabbit and avian game reflects the artist's specialization in animal subjects, presenting the creatures as observed elements of nature rather than as carriers of explicit allegorical meaning. As a still life, the work belongs to a tradition concerned with the textures, plumage, and pelts of hunted animals, where the hare and birds together evoke themes of the hunt and the abundance of game.
The composition emphasizes the natural characteristics of each species, situating the work within the descriptive rather than symbolic mode typical of Fyt's oeuvre.
Technique & Style
The physical dimensions and material composition define the artwork's formal presence as a mid-seventeenth-century Flemish still life.
Jan Fyt's A Hare and Birds (1646) is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. The work functions as a still life, formally depicting a rabbit and various birds within a single composition. Measuring approximately 60.6 cm in height and 78.7 cm in width, the painting demonstrates the artist's handling of the medium to render animal and avian subjects.
The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, having been associated with collector William T. Blodgett. The physical dimensions and material composition define the artwork's formal presence as a mid-seventeenth-century Flemish still life.
History & Provenance
Created in 1646 by the Flemish artist Jan Fyt, A Hare and Birds is an oil-on-canvas still life. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the ownership of William T. Blodgett, who is recorded as a previous owner. While specific details regarding the original commission or the precise circumstances of its creation remain unaddressed in the available records, the painting's inception is firmly established as occurring in 1646.
The piece currently resides within the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified as a depiction of birds and a rabbit, consistent with Fyt's specialization in animal subjects during the mid-seventeenth century.
A Hare and Birds is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The painting is listed as part of the museum's holdings and was previously owned by William T. Blodgett; its accession number is not specified in the available documentation. Created in 1646 by Jan Fyt, the oil on canvas work is classified as a still-life painting. No exhibition records are documented for this piece in the sources consulted.
Context
A Hare and Birds (1646) is an oil‑on‑canvas still‑life by Flemish painter Jan Fyt, exemplifying the Baroque fascination with detailed naturalism. The composition depicts a rabbit alongside small birds rendered with fine brushwork, a subject that recurs in Fyt’s animal paintings. The work measures 60.6 × 78.7 cm and is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it was acquired from collector William T. Blodgett.
Its inclusion in the museum’s European paintings collection underscores its significance as a representative example of 17th‑century Flemish hunting scenes.
Overview
Jan Fyt, a Flemish Baroque artist active in the 17th century, completed A Hare and Birds in 1646. This oil painting represents a still life, a genre in which Fyt specialized, particularly in compositions featuring animals. The artwork is recognized for its detailed depiction of game and is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Fijt, Jan Fijt or Johannes Fijt (or Fyt) (19 August 1609 – 11 September 1661) was a Flemish Baroque painter, draughtsman and etcher.
