Still Life with Dead Game 1928

Andre Derain created this still life painting of dead game with oil on canvas. The imagery of dead animals evokes the long-standing tradition of hunting in European culture, particularly among the aristocracy. This kind of image creates meaning through visual codes connected with wealth, leisure, and dominance over nature. When thinking about the socio-political context in which the painting was made we must consider its relationship to the institutions of art. Was this painted for a patron with links to the aristocratic lifestyle? Or for display in an art institution? The status of Derain himself is also important, as he came from a middle-class background and was not part of that hunting tradition. To gain a deeper insight, one could research Derain’s relationship with patrons or galleries. We might reflect on the meaning of art as something that is contingent on social and institutional context.