painting (oil): ["Still Life with Dead Game"] aka ["Pigeon and Other Birds"]

At the left of this outdoor still life, some purple-headed thistles grow at the foot of a tree trunk. A number of dead birds, including some finches and a snipe, hand from a branch of the tree. Two game bags hang beside them and a shotgun is resting against the tree below. On the ground are a dead wood pigeon, with traces of blood oozing from its beak, a goldfinch and a bullfinch. Beside them is a falcon's hood and a powder flask. The still life is set against a landscape at dusk and pink-hued clouds can be seen in the sky. Virag 14/12/2004, Pieter Withoos, the son of Matthias Withoos (1627-1703), specialised in painting insects, animals and plants. His drawings were used as illustrations for books on naturalism, such as John Ray's, "The Ornithology of Francis Willoughby", London, 1678. On the front: The canvas has been re-lined and the lining can be seen at right and left sides, as the frame is too wide for the painting and probably also not quite high enough. There is cracking throughout the paint surface and a band of creases across the upper half of the canvas (from the purple-headed thistles at the left moving to the right) which may be consistent with folding or stretcher damage. There is a noticeable area of overcleaning to the left of and behind the gamebag. On the reverse: 1. "P Withoos" (in biro) 2. NCM accession number (top of frame) 3. White label on stretcher: "41" A condition report exists for NCM 1904-106 by Jesse Bruton Picture Restoration, Wolverhampton, dated 3 September 1985. However, judging by the current condition of the painting (above), the work was never carried out. The report found that the canvas has been lined and that the painting is crazed wth cracks, cupping, lifting and cleaving at points all over, but mostly along the left and lower dark areas. The oil surface was found to be thin in places from abrasive cleaning and previous restoration has strengthened the drawing. A strip approx. half an inch in width was found to be a false addition down the right side. It is thought to have been added to enlarge the painting in order to accommodate it in a frame. Treatment was to have involved: Removing surface film and overpaint. Removing old lining and re-lining with medium fine linen canvas. Restretch and tension. Inpainting paint loss. Revarnishing. Some mould from half way down the left side of NCM 1904-106 was removed in April, 1969. Virag 14/12/2004, Collection of Richard Godson Millns