Still Life with Game on a Table 1645 - 1649

Adriaen van Utrecht painted this still life with oil on canvas, presenting an array of hunted game against a dark background. It's a scene laden with symbols of wealth and abundance. Consider the image of the suspended hare. We see this motif echoing through centuries—from medieval tapestries to contemporary art—sometimes a symbol of vulnerability, sometimes of the hunt's bounty. In some contexts, the hare also represents the arrival of spring. Think of its ancient associations with fertility and renewal. Reflect on how these symbols evoke primal emotions. The display of hunted animals touches on themes of mortality, dominance, and the cycle of life and death, engaging our subconscious on a visceral level. These motifs persist, transmuted and recontextualized. They surface in new forms, shaped by the collective memory and cultural anxieties of each era, reminding us of the enduring power of symbols to communicate and provoke.