Dutch School, XVII century. "Birds". Oil on canvas.

Dutch School, XVII century. "Birds". Oil on canvas.

Dutch School, XVII century.
"Birds".
Oil on canvas.
Size: 133 x 168 cm.; 157 x 193 cm. (frame).
The animalistic genre, and specifically the painting of birds, knew in Holland an own development. Specialists in birds were painters who enjoyed high recognition, as Jan Baptist Weenix and Melchior de Hondecoeter. The latter received numerous commissions from William III. The present painting has clear similarities with Hondecoeter's work, which can be seen in the placement of poultry and wild birds in the foreground in front of a wooded landscape, in the precise reproduction of the plumage, in the atmospheric nuances and qualities, in the individualized treatment of each species... This is a response to the leisurely observation of the habits of the animals: This type of painting was highly appreciated by his contemporaries, and was destined for the decoration of bourgeois and stately mansions in the countryside. The owl occupies a central place, and its oversized size introduces an element of tension, breaking into the apparent tranquility of the scene. The Flemish influence was notable in the Dutch school of the Baroque period, from which this painting does not escape either.