Hen Run at a Manor
Melchior d' Hondecoeter
1651-1695
There is unrest in the gathering of birds. A peacock and an African black crowned crane are at odds, and the noise prompts a hen to gather her chicks around her. A cock and a small spaniel intervene, and in the background a southern cassowary completes the scene. In contrast to most older paintings of animals, it is unlikely that these birds are symbols of anything. Rather, the artist has tried to create a vivid and dynamic composition. Accurate and precise depictions of living animals and their behavior were unusual at this time. Melchior d'Hondecoeter was an expert on making large-scale paintings of exotic and more commonplace birds.
SMK – National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen · Image: SMK – National Gallery of Denmark, Public domain · Text: SMK – National Gallery of Denmark (text: Rasmus Kjærboe) (adapted), CC0