Still Life Sketch Of Freshly Plucked Game Hanging Oil On Cardboard, 23 X 38 Cm

Still life With bird.
Sketch of freshly plucked game hanging

Oil on cardboard, 23 x 38 cm

First half of the 20th century, Italian school

Good overall condition; edges with small chips, signs of wear, and pinholes typical of studio use. Likely a preparatory sketch for a larger painting.

A small game bird — probably a partridge or woodcock — still partially feathered and ready for the kitchen, is depicted with the same dense, brisk, and unfiltered brushwork as the fish sketch. No hunting scene or decorative background: here, everything is focused on the hanging body, its weight, and the vivid matter, rendered through bold, textured strokes.

The palette blends greys, browns, touches of blue, and hints of red, enhancing the feel of flesh and ruffled feathers. The pinholes and worn edges confirm its role as a studio working note, used to study posture and structure.

Same hand, same direct, honest taste: a fragment of Italian academic practice from the first half of the 20th century, where the physical presence of game takes priority over any narrative.