Artwork
A Hen with Peacocks and a Turkey
A Hen with Peacocks and a Turkey is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Melchior d' Hondecoeter. It dates from 1690 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Created in 1690 by Dutch painter Melchior d’Hondecoeter, this oil on canvas presents a grouping of domestic and ornamental birds.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting centers on a white hen standing amid two peacocks and a turkey, all rendered with naturalistic detail against a broad, sunlit landscape backdrop.
The painting centers on a white hen standing amid two peacocks and a turkey, all rendered with naturalistic detail against a broad, sunlit landscape backdrop.
The birds’ juxtaposition is commonly read as an allegory of abundance and the exotic within the familiar. The peacocks, long associated with pride and immortality in European emblem books, are paired here with domestic poultry to evoke the collector’s cabinet of curiosities, where rare specimens were displayed alongside everyday creatures. The turkey, newly introduced from the Americas, signals contemporary fascination with transatlantic exchange and natural rarities during the late seventeenth century.
Technique & Style
Created in 1680, A Hen with Peacocks and a Turkey is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 134 cm in height and 174.5 cm in width, classifying it as a large-scale landscape painting. Melchior d'Hondecoeter utilized oil paint to depict a complex arrangement of fowl, specifically featuring chickens, peafowl, and a turkey within the composition.
The handling of the medium allows for the detailed rendering of the birds' plumage and their interaction within the landscape setting.
History & Provenance
The oil painting A Hen with Peacocks and a Turkey was created by Melchior d'Hondecoeter in 1680. The work is executed in oil on canvas and depicts various fowl, including chickens, peafowl, and a turkey. Its provenance traces back to the collection of Adriaan van der Hoop, who owned the piece before it entered public institutions.
The painting is currently held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, having been transferred from the Amsterdam Museum and the Adriaan van der Hoop collection.
Context
Melchior d' Hondecoeter's 1680 painting A Hen with Peacocks and a Turkey exemplifies his specialization in bird subjects within the Dutch Golden Age landscape tradition. The work features a hen alongside peafowl and chicken, reflecting the artist's meticulous observation of avian life and his contribution to the genre of animal painting. It belongs to the broader context of 17th-century Dutch naturalistic wildlife depiction and was part of the collection of Adriaan van der Hoop, later entering the holdings of the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Museum.
The painting's composition and subject matter align with Hondecoeter's known works and his influence on subsequent animal painters.
Overview
Created in 1690 by Dutch painter Melchior d’Hondecoeter, this oil on canvas presents a grouping of domestic and ornamental birds. The composition includes a sizable turkey, a hen, and two peacocks arranged within a naturalistic setting. The work exemplifies the artist’s focus on avian subjects and is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Melchior d'Hondecoeter (Dutch pronunciation:; c. 1636 – 3 April 1695), Dutch animalier painter, was born in Utrecht and died in Amsterdam. After the start of his career, he painted virtually exclusively bird subjects,…
