Doe and Hope

Description

The large oil on canvas study of a heron, at over four feet high, the subject hanging as dead game to its talons by a scarlet thread, the bird shown splayed with its head resting to the ground, to an earthy ground and signed lower right Jos Paÿ 1889, surviving from late nineteenth century Holland.

The painting is in un-restored and uncleaned order with some flecked loss, craquelure, scuffing and a small puncture to the upper section. Please refer to the photographs for a full visual reference. It is presented unframed and is beautifully decorative in this untouched condition.

The execution is of a good standard with the light playing upon the birds well realised feathers we cannot find any information on the artist.

The way the artist tackles the subject was popular in the nineteenth century, having been used in earlier centuries, with various avian and country found subjects such as pheasants and rabbits being depicted as hanging game, both in painting and Trompe l'oeil. It is however, unusual to see a heron being depicted in this way.

A work with a huge decorative impact both in its execution and size.