Hunting Trophy with Hare and Bay Leaves c. 1810

Antoine Berjon’s *Hunting Trophy with Hare and Bay Leaves* presents an image of dead game, likely dating to the late 18th or early 19th century. Executed in oil on canvas, the work’s material influence is pronounced in the way Berjon coaxes light and texture from the paint. Note how the fur, stiffened in death, seems to bristle from the surface, and the almost metallic sheen of the bay leaves. This illusionism reflects the highly skilled traditions of painting, demanding years of apprenticeship. Consider how such images were tied to social issues. Hunting was, of course, a privileged pastime, and its products a symbol of status. A painting like this could stand in for the real thing, available for admiration year-round. Berjon’s patient rendering of the scene also speaks to the amount of work involved, both in the hunt itself and in its artistic representation. Recognizing these intersections of material, making, and context allows us to understand the painting’s full meaning.