Who painted Still-life with Dead Game on a Table?

Still-life with Dead Game on a Table was painted by Frans Snyders in 1615.

Where can I see Still-life with Dead Game on a Table?

Still-life with Dead Game on a Table is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is Still-life with Dead Game on a Table?

Still-life with Dead Game on a Table is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Still-life with Dead Game on a Table

Frans Snyders , 1615

Still-life with Dead Game on a Table is a drawing by the Baroque artist Frans Snyders. It dates from 1615 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

Frans Snyders’ drawing, executed in pen and bistre wash, serves as a preparatory study for his later oil composition *Still‑life with a Huntsman* (c. 1615) now in the Mauritshuis, The Hague. The work presents a cluttered tabletop laden with dead game, rendered in monochrome tones that emphasize form and texture rather than colour.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts a chaotic assortment of hunted birds and mammals—ducks, rabbits, a hare—scattered across a table, with a basket and stray leaves in the background. The arrangement underscores the abundance of the hunt and the material reality of the catch, reflecting the early‑17th‑century interest in vanitas themes and the display of wealth through game.

Technique & Style

Snyders employs swift, sketchy lines and cross‑hatching to suggest the texture of fur and feathers, using the bistre wash to model volume without relying on colour. The drawing’s uneven strokes convey immediacy, characteristic of preparatory studies where the artist explores composition and surface detail before committing to a finished painting.

History & Provenance

The study entered the British collection of Sir Thomas Lawrence before passing to the Rev. Alexander Dyce, who bequeathed it to the museum in 1869. Its documented ownership traces a path from private 19th‑century collectors to a public institution, where it remains accessible for scholarly reference.