Title: Still Life with Hen

Artist: Giacomo Ceruti

Still Life with Hen and Onion Artist: Giacomo Ceruti (Italian, Milan 1698–Milan 1767) Date: About 1750–60 Medium: Oil on paper, laid down on canvas Text: Against a dark background, Ceruti meticulously portrayed some foodstuffs from a larder. A clear, bright light reveals the brittle onion skin and the soft plumage of the hen. The white Livornese chicken, a breed still common in Italy, is particularly valued for its high level of egg production. The prominent positioning of the hen's body invites close inspection, encouraging the viewer to contemplate the beauty of its still form. The attentive rendering of the rigid foot, stiff wing, and open beak conveys respect, almost sacred significance, toward the dead creature.