Who painted Dead Wildfowl and a Game Dog?

Dead Wildfowl and a Game Dog was painted by Jan Fyt in 1640-01-01.

Where can I see Dead Wildfowl and a Game Dog?

Dead Wildfowl and a Game Dog is held by Statens Museum for Kunst.

What movement is Dead Wildfowl and a Game Dog?

Dead Wildfowl and a Game Dog is associated with Flemish Baroque painting.

Artwork

Dead Wildfowl and a Game Dog

Jan Fyt , 1640

Dead Wildfowl and a Game Dog is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Jan Fyt. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The composition features a freshly killed bird and a trained hunting dog rendered in a realistic still-life arrangement. The dead wildfowl and game dog serve as emblems of a successful hunt and mastery over nature, reflecting 17th-century Flemish hunting culture. The work combines detailed naturalistic observation with the conventions of the Baroque game piece.

Technique & Style

The work is an oil painting executed on canvas. It depicts a dead wildfowl alongside a game dog in a hunting scene, reflecting the still-life genre popular in 17th-century Flemish art. The composition emphasizes precise rendering of texture and form, characteristic of Jan Fyt's technique. The painting measures 52.5 cm in height and 76.5 cm in width.

History & Provenance

The piece currently resides in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark, where it forms part of the national collection.

Jan Fyt executed the oil painting Dead Wildfowl and a Game Dog in 1640. Created on canvas, the work depicts a still-life arrangement featuring birds and a hunting dog. The piece currently resides in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark, where it forms part of the national collection.

The painting measures 52.5 cm in height by 76.5 cm in width. No specific details regarding the original commission or the intermediate ownership chain are provided in the available records, no inventory or accession number is recorded, and no exhibition history is documented for the work.

Context

The work reflects the artist's specialization in game pieces and bird studies within the Northern European still-life tradition, exemplifying the detailed naturalistic rendering characteristic of mid-17th century Flemish painting. Its composition integrates hunting motifs common in the artist's oeuvre, situating it firmly within the broader context of Baroque animal painting where such subjects served both decorative and symbolic purposes related to aristocratic pastimes.

Scholarly attention has focused on its technical execution and iconographic significance, particularly regarding the depiction of the hunting dog as a symbol of fidelity and the inclusion of specific bird species that demonstrate the artist's observational precision. The painting's presence at the Statens Museum for Kunst has established it as an example of the museum's collection of Northern European Baroque works.

Overview

Jan Fyt’s 1640 oil painting, Dead Wildfowl and a Game Dog, presents a quiet tableau of a hunting aftermath. A limp dog lies beside a heap of freshly killed quail or partridges, while a wooden cage and metal bucket rest against a dark, rocky surface. The composition captures a still moment, emphasizing the materiality of fur, feathers, and wood.