The artwork “Still life, plucked turkey and pan with fish” is a notable creation by the Spanish artist Francisco Goya, dated between 1808 and 1812. It is executed in oil on canvas and embodies the Romanticism art movement’s aesthetics. The artwork’s dimensions are 45 x 62.5 cm, and its genre is categorized as still life. This piece is part of the collection housed at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Germany.
The artwork portrays a raw, plucked turkey lying on its side with a visible cavity where the entrails have been removed, creating a realistic and somewhat graphic depiction of the bird. The turkey’s wings are tucked close to its body, and one leg is stretched out, giving the impression of limpness and weight. Adjacent to the turkey is a dark pan containing an assortment of fish, which are painted with detailed attention to their scales, fins, and vacant expressions, suggesting they have been freshly caught.
The contrast between the fleshy pink and beige tones of the turkey and the silver-gray hues of the fish is striking, emphasizing the textural differences between the subjects. The background is notably dark, drawing the viewer’s focus to the central subjects of the still life composition. There is a palpable sense of both the materiality of the objects depicted and a subtle commentary on the nature of life and death, themes that resonate with the Romantic sensibility of the era. The painting showcases Goya’s deft skill in rendering forms and textures, an attribute that contributes to the tangible presence of the subjects in this still life.
