Abraham Bisschop

Abraham Bisschop

1660-1731 | Dutch

A Turkey, Peacock, a Chicken with his Chicks Beside a Classical Fountain in a Landscape

Signed A. Bisschop f. (lower right)

Oil on canvas

An exotic avian menagerie is captured in stunning detail in this oil on canvas by Dutch artist Abraham Bisschop. Highly acclaimed for his vivid portraits of birds, Bisschop followed in the rich still life tradition of the great Dutch painter Melchior d'Hondecoeter. Like d'Hondecoeter, Bisschop excelled at not only capturing his subjects with a technical perfection, but also their inherent elegance and grace. Filled with incredible detailing and luminous color, his works are among the best of their kind.

In the present work, the sumptuous form of the peacock takes center stage; a symbol of pride in early Dutch works, the exotic bird would have represented both wealth and worldliness. The classical fountain suggests an old country estate, the precise setting where such an assemblage of birds would most plausibly be found. Hunting and keeping unusual birds was a popular way to show one's wealth in the 17th century, particularly among the emerging class of wealthy merchants. This proclivity also earned Bisschop his success, as paintings of a large menagerie of birds became symbols of status, along with the floral still lifes that graced the interiors of the homes of the wealthy.

Abraham Bisschop was trained by his father, Cornelius Bisschop, who was the court painter to the King of Denmark. While the majority of his oeuvre is dedicated to the avian still life, he also composed landscapes and portraits for the wealthy houses throughout Holland. Highly successful during his lifetime, he was elected a member of the painters' guild in 1715. Today, his works are highly prized works of the Dutch still life tradition.

Canvas: 70" high x 44 1/4" wide
Frame: 76 3/4" high x 51 1/4" wide

Abraham Bisschop, Dutch, 1660 - 1731, A Turkey, Peacock, a Chicken with his Chicks Beside a Classical Fountain in a Landscape, oil on canvas, M.S. Rau Antiques.  SOLD