Stilleven met twee kraaghoenen, hangend aan een koord 1907

A. Leonora Kellogg made this still life of two ruffed grouse with a muted palette of browns and creams, playing with light and shadow to create texture. I love how she used the bird's feathers to suggest depth and form. The grouse hang suspended, their soft plumage captured in a stark, almost clinical way. You can almost feel the downy texture of the feathers, see the subtle gradations of color. Look at the detail in the wing, the way each feather overlaps the next. It's a masterclass in observation, but it's not just about realism. There's a sense of stillness, a quiet contemplation of mortality. I'm reminded of the Dutch Masters, their still lifes filled with symbolic objects, but Kellogg brings a modern sensibility to the genre. This piece feels like a nod to tradition, but with a contemporary twist.