Bidspirit auction | Pheasant. Spanish School. 19th Century

Pheasant. Spanish School. 19th Century - Oil on panel. Dimensions: 55 x 45 cm. This is a still life depicting a shot pheasant, hanging by its legs and with its plumage meticulously treated. The vertical composition emphasizes the inverted position of the bird, whose body rests heavily on a neutral surface. The chromatic richness of the plumage—gold, green, and reddish tones—contrasts with the dark, earthy background, creating a dramatic and realistic effect. The brushwork is thick and dense, with great attention to the textures of the feathers and the light reflected off them. This work is part of the Spanish School of the late 19th century, when still lifes regained vigour as a decorative and technical genre. The sober and austere approach, together with the naturalistic detail, reveals influences of Flemish still life adapted to nineteenth-century bourgeois taste.