1642 - MELCHIOR D'HONDECOETER

MELCHIOR D'HONDECOETER Weasel in the Chicken Coop, c. 1670 Oil on canvas, 73x92 cm Melchior d'Hondecoeter was a Dutch painter of animals and still lifes, as well as an engraver. He was a student of his father, Gysbert d’Hondecoeter, and his uncle, J.B. Weenix. From 1659 to 1663, he worked in The Hague, then settled in Amsterdam, where he obtained citizenship in 1668. He devoted himself in particular to painting animals, especially birds. He excelled in this genre: he was called the “Raphael of Birds.” His subjects, usually exotic or wild, are often depicted in park-like landscapes or, as in this case, in stable interiors. He often allowed his art to take on an anecdotal quality, drawing inspiration from fairy tales. Of particular note are his meticulous realism and his skills as a draftsman and colorist. Melchior Hondecoeter exerted a great influence on still-life and animal painters. Bibliography: See Melchior de Hondecoeter: schilder voor buitenplaatsen; te gast op Sypesteyn, exhibition catalog, Kasteel-Museum Sypesteyn, 2012