Important Still Life With Birds, Circa 1830.

A large oil painting on canvas depicting a hunting still life organized around a central trophy: a large wading bird—a stork—accompanied by other game birds, including a woodcock on the ground. The artist here favors a still life with birds, a less common subject in the 19th century, treated with a keen eye for detail and a chiaroscuro technique inherited from the Flemish tradition. In the foreground, a wicker basket holds peaches, plums (including Reine-Claude plums), and bunches of grapes, fruits characteristic of late summer and early autumn, a period traditionally corresponding to the opening of the migratory bird hunting season. This seasonal convergence reinforces the narrative unity of the composition, associating the ripening of the fruit with the return of the hunt. To the left, an arched stone window opens onto a wooded landscape. A climbing plant with blue-violet flowers, identifiable as a bellflower, descends along the frame, a floral allusion associated with delicacy, the passing of seasons, and the fragility of life. The whole creates spatial and symbolic depth, emphasizing the ephemeral nature of the subject. Beneath the windowsill, a leather hunting bag is depicted with remarkable realism: the texture of the leather, its patina, folds, and stitching. To the right, resting on a shelf, a glazed terracotta jar with multiple handles, decorated with wavy patterns and partially covered with a green drape, evokes the rustic objects found in old kitchens and lends the decor a domestic character. Documents & markings (Vallé & Bourniche stamp) The reverse bears the stamp: “Vallé & Bourniche – rue de l'Arbre Sec – Ancienne maison Belot,” corresponding to the period of activity of this firm between 1825 and 1841, succeeding the Belot firm founded in 1768 and specializing in Parisian canvases and art supplies. This information allows for a consistent dating of the artwork to around 1830–1840. Restoration, canvas and stretcher The canvas has just been restored: cleaning, revarnishing, and local consolidation. It is preserved on its original canvas and stretcher, without relining. The restorer applied simple, reversible, peripheral tension strips, preserving the old stretcher while ensuring optimal tension. The surface is in very good condition, with uniform age-related craquelure. Frame This large frame in wood and gilt stucco dates from the 1840s. It is French and has been adapted for painting. This frame is highly decorative and perfectly showcases the work. The decoration shows some losses and wear to the gilding. Dimensions Large dimensions: Canvas: H. 167 cm; W. 121 cm Without frame: H. 192 cm; W. 147 cm Commentary Through the quality of its execution, the richness of its iconography, the excellent preservation of its original canvas, and the presence of the Vallé & Bourniche stamp, this large still life constitutes a major decorative work of the early 19th century, continuing the tradition of Flemish models while adopting the Romantic taste for hunting subjects.