A Deerhound with Dead Game and Implements of the Chase, 1708 Jan Weenix (1640-1719)

We create our paintings with museum quality and covering the highest academic standards. Once we get your order, it will be entirely hand-painted with oil on canvas. All the materials we use are the highest level, being totally artist graded painting materials and linen canvas.

We will add 1.6" (4 cm) additional blank canvas all over the painting for stretching.

High quality and detailing in every inch are time consuming. The reproduction of Jan Weenix also needs time to dry in order to be completely ready for shipping, as this is crucial to not be damaged during transportation.
Based on the size, level of detail and complexity we need 8-9 weeks to complete the process.

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Painting reproduction is a high quality expensive product, which we cannot risk to damage by sending it being stretched.
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Once the painting A Deerhound with Dead Game and Implements of the Chase is ready and dry, it will be shipped to your delivery address. The canvas will be rolled-up in a secure postal tube.

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The painting presents a dramatic convergence of life and death, its focal point a vigilant hound surrounded by the remnants of a recent hunt. At the center, one sees the imposing deerhound, ears cocked, muscles tensed, its stance suggesting both mastery over the fallen quarry and readiness to respond to the hunter’s horn sounding just beyond the right edge. The composition draws us in through the large stag lying on the ground, its eyes rendered with unusual tenderness, quietly meeting our own. Nearby, a heron sprawls, its luminous feathers providing a delicate contrast to the heavier forms of the stag and deerhound. A single poppy, tinged with a deep red, droops across the stag’s flank, a reminder of both mortality and coloristic balance. The branches above hold the trappings of the hunt—rifle, horn, and two hares—while a dead limb loosely mimics the stag’s antlers, an elegant visual echo that ties the elements together.

Subdued browns and greys dominate the painting’s atmosphere, complemented by bursts of light reflecting off the animals’ coats and feathers. The hound’s breast, soft and frilled, is vividly highlighted, as are the folds of the heron’s wing and the belly of a hare. These luminous accents create visual pivots that guide the eye through the central tableau, capturing the viewer’s attention before extending it into the distance. A warm sunset frames the scene, casting a golden hue across the expansive landscape. This shimmering backdrop, punctuated by a tower and a sparkling river, underscores the calm that follows the action in the foreground, effectively contrasting the organized chaos of the hunt with the serenity of nature stretching beyond.

Jan Weenix’s brushwork reveals considerable expertise in capturing texture, especially evident in the transitions between sleek fur and delicate plumage. The fine detailing around the animals is juxtaposed with broader, softer strokes in the distant scenery, an approach that lends depth and variety to the painting. He carefully balances foreground elements against the airy, haze-filled background, creating a dynamic rhythm that prevents the composition from feeling overly dense. The dramatic close-up of the stag, heron, and hound also functions as a gateway to a larger narrative: beyond them, riders on horseback can be glimpsed in pursuit of a rearing stag, extending the storyline while maintaining a unity across the canvas.

Executed in 1708, the painting reflects the continued privilege of hunting among the aristocracy. Despite legal shifts that allowed some members of the bourgeoisie to hunt, the scene conveys a world still largely reserved for wealthy patrons, who sought not only sustenance but also the social and symbolic prestige that came with the chase. At the time, Weenix served as court painter to Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz in Düsseldorf, and the work may have been intended for display at a grand hunting lodge. The painting thus becomes both an illustration of a favored pastime and a testament to the artist’s ability to weave together narrative, texture, and color to striking effect.