Still life with meat and dead birds 1660 - 1671

Christoffel Puytlinck made this still life with oil on canvas in the late 17th century. Look closely, and you’ll see the careful layering of paint, building up the textures of feathers, fur, and flesh. Now, still life painting like this was a real exercise in skill, demonstrating the artist’s ability to mimic life. But it’s also interesting to consider what’s been made “still” here. This isn’t just a display of food. It’s a display of wealth, a suggestion of bountiful consumption. Puytlinck has imbued the work with social significance by carefully representing the colors and textures. The dark background throws the produce into sharp relief, and the contrast between light and shadow adds drama, elevating these everyday objects to a higher status. In a way, this painting is a luxury object in itself, designed to impress. By understanding the materials, making, and context, we can appreciate how the artist challenged boundaries between fine art and craft.