Still Life with Hare and a Black Rooster 1659

Cornelis Lelienbergh presents in oil on canvas, a “Still Life with Hare and a Black Rooster”, dominated by a somber palette. The composition immediately draws you in with its stark arrangement of textures and forms. The hanging hare, the dark rooster, and the vegetables laid out on a stone table create a visual pattern. Lelienbergh masterfully uses the contrast between the soft fur of the hare and the rough feathers of the rooster to evoke a tactile response. The arrangement of each element is carefully calculated to build a semiotic system where death and nature intersect. Each component exists within a network of meaning. The starkness of the scene challenges traditional notions of beauty, inviting us to reflect on mortality. This isn't merely a depiction of dead animals; it's a philosophical statement about the transience of life, captured through the formal qualities of light, texture, and composition.