Still Life with Dead Peacock and Boar’s Head

Probably the most talented pupil of Frans Snyders, Jan Fyt was the originator of outdoor still-lifes of animals and hunting trophies. A peacock is hanging on a hook on the wall of a building. On a sarcophagus-like relief slab next to the bird lie the head of a wild boar and a hare. Realistic “lowly” elements such as the cord and chopper provide a contrast to the “noble” character of the game. The drunken Silenus of the relief seems to point to the enjoyment of wine with a meal that is to follow.