caption

follower of Melchior d'Hondecoeter, Dog Frightening Fowl

Photo courtesy of Dave Penman (All rights reserved)

Details

Country House
Trewithen
Title(s)
Dog Frightening Fowl
Medium and support
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Overall height: 82 cm, Overall width: 135 cm
Artist
follower of Melchior d'Hondecoeter (1636-1695)
Catalogue Number
TN77

Description

The picture depicts a spaniel startling poultry in a farmyard setting. The content and style are in the early manner of the ‘Raphael of bird painters’, Melchior d’Hondecoeter, who specialised in such scenes.1 However, the somewhat weak handling suggests that this is a work by a follower and possibly the same painter who executed TN35.

Inventories of the house indicate that the painting was displayed in the ‘study’ in 1828, and in 1829, along with TN 35, was located in the ‘Anteroom’ as ‘2 pictures Poultry’, valued at £4. In the inventory of March 1928, when the picture hung in the Study, it was described as ‘Oil painting, Dutch School XVIII Century – farm yard scene, spaniel attacking duckling and other birds, framed white enamel – 32in by 54in’.

by Emily Burns

Footnotes

  1. Catalogue essay relating to Melchior d’Hondecoeter, Ducks, Hens and other Fowl in a Yard, Christie’s, New York, Old Master & 19th Century Paintings, Drawings & Watercolors Part I, 26 January 2011 (31).

    1

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