The artwork, titled “Still Life with Dead Game,” is an oil painting on canvas created by Andre Derain in 1928. It adheres to the Neoclassicism art movement and falls within the still life genre.
In the artwork, a somber and meticulous arrangement of game birds is depicted, laid out on a white cloth that drapes over the edge of a table. The dead game, which includes a black-feathered bird and a reddish-orange fowl, contrasts starkly against the bright cloth and the muted brown background. Also visible on the table is a hunting rifle, which accentuates the theme of the hunt. Derain masterfully employs chiaroscuro to create depth, with the play of light and shadow bringing a dramatic emphasis to the forms and textures of the dead birds. This ceremonial presentation exudes a sense of stillness and contemplation, characteristic of the still life genre and evocative of the artist’s neoclassical influences.
