Hunting and Fruit Still Life next to a Garden Vase, with a Monkey, Dog and two Doves, in the distance Rijksdorp near Wassenaar, Seat of Jacob Emmery, Baron of Wassenaar 1714

Jan Weenix made this large painting of a still life with animals and fruits with oil on canvas. Weenix’s skilled brushwork brings a remarkable sense of texture to the scene, from the soft fur of the rabbit to the iridescent feathers of the birds. The sheer amount of detail speaks to the labor involved, not just in the painting itself, but in the hunting and gathering that the image represents. It is a display of wealth and privilege: the spoils of the hunt arranged as a feast for the eyes. Beyond the visual pleasures, there’s a darker side to this cornucopia. The abundance relies on systems of labor and consumption, and on the exercise of power over the natural world. This painting invites us to consider these relationships, and the social context in which such displays of affluence are not only possible, but celebrated.