Still Life with Game Birds c. 17th century

Editor: This is Jan Vonck's "Still Life with Game Birds" at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a small, somber painting. All those dead birds... what story could it be telling? Curator: Well, these still lifes were popular, reflecting Dutch society and its relationship with nature. Think about the rise of hunting culture and its status implications. Does the composition strike you as celebratory or cautionary? Editor: Cautionary, definitely. They seem so vulnerable. Did the public view these displays of dead game differently then? Curator: Perhaps. Remember, art served various functions, including reinforcing social hierarchies. Images like these often justified human dominance over the natural world. Do you see this reflected in other art from the period? Editor: I do now! It's unsettling to view it through that lens. Curator: Precisely. Seeing art as part of a bigger system of power and perception opens up many questions.