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Dead Birds

Willem van Aelst

Basic information

ID: Ж-834
Author: Willem van Aelst
Name: Dead Birds
Technique: oil painting
Material: wood oil
Dimensions: 56 x 45.5 cm (height x width)

Additionally

Type: painting
Genre: animal painting
Plot: Still life
Provenance: Purchased in 1940
Exposition: Potocki Palace

Information about author

Author: Willem van Aelst
Artist's lifetime: 1627–1783 (?)
Country: Holland
Biography: Willem van Aelst (1627–1783 ?) was a Dutch painter of the 17th century, known as a master of still lifes. The artist was born in the city of Delft and studied under his uncle, Evert van Aelst, a master of still lifes. In 1643, Willem was admitted to the Guild of St. Luke in his hometown. Later, he worked for several years in France and then in Italy, where he became the court painter for Ferdinando II de' Medici. In Florence, the artist is known as Guillielmo d'Olanda, which is how his surname was adapted to the Italian manner. While in Rome from 1657 to 1658, he was likely a member of the "Bentvueghels" (translated as "Migratory Birds"), a society of foreign artists, mainly from northern Protestant countries, who came to the Catholic city to familiarise themselves with the treasures of art and improve their own skills. He then returned to the Netherlands and worked in Amsterdam. The artist's works are realistic, vibrant, rich in colour, and feature impeccable composition. Among his works are still lifes featuring fruits, flowers, and hunting equipment. Van Aelst's paintings are exhibited in museums in Delft, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, The Hague, as well as in the Pitti Gallery in Florence, in other cities across Europe, and in private collections.

Object description

On a dark background, several killed birds are depicted. Some hang with their heads down, their white and brown feathers dishevelled and in disarray. Others lie on the table between a half-filled glass (a berkemeyer) and a filled pitcher. The neck of the pitcher is tightly wrapped with a jute hemp cord. The work is painted in a warm, ochre colour palette. The hunting equipment is absent, so we are likely looking at a still life featuring fowl. Intense competition fostered a narrow specialisation among Dutch painters, developing original artistic imagery and techniques. They predominantly depicted secular subjects, landscapes, still lifes, genre scenes, maritime themes, or portraits. Willem van Aelst was able to work in several genres. Hunting-themed still lifes became popular in the Netherlands as society began to prosper. Such works evoke a sense of realism, as the animals and birds are depicted in life-size and feature natural colouring. In European galleries, Willem van Aelst's hunting still lifes are exhibited, including: "Still Life with Hunting Equipment and Dead Birds", 1668 (Karlsruhe); "Still Life with Game and Hunting Equipment", 1660 (Berlin); and "Hunting Still Life with a Dead Bird", 1671 (The Hague).

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery