Jan Weenix, Dutch, 1642?-1719
Still Life with Hunting Trophies, 1680s-1690s
oil on canvas, 47 15/16 x 62 3/8 in. (121.8 x 158.4 cm)
Ackland Art Museum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ackland Fund
Similar to most of his paintings, in Still Life with Hunting Trophies, Dutch painter Jan Weenix (1642-1719) depicts hunting scenes featuring various dead animals in lush settings. Created in the late 17th century, this painting depicts a hunting scene in which deer and several birds have been preyed upon. The distant deer attack in the middle ground illustrates man’s complete domination over wildlife. Thus humans disrupt this lush natural habitat, filled with overgrown vines and monkeys, creating a dramatic still life scene. Humanity’s barbaric actions upon this otherwise peaceful environment encourage a theme that puts humans in opposition with nature.
~Celeste Cowan
An extended look at Weenix’s Still Life with Hunting Trophies by Celeste Cowan