French Still Life w/ Game Hare Signed J. P. Murat 1954 - 27¼" x 13"

This slender vertical oil on panel presents a hanging hare in a quiet game still life, signed J. P. Murat and dated 1954. The composition is rendered in a restrained, harmonious palette of soft greys, taupe, and warm umber against a light, textured ground, the forms described with measured, naturalistic brushwork. It sits in a simple gilt frame. A hairline crack to the panel at the lower right and light surface wear consistent with age.

The subject recalls the long European tradition of hunting trophies in still life painting, especially popular in France from the seventeenth century onward. By the mid twentieth century, painters often revisited this motif with a quieter mood and limited color, tempering the severity of the theme with subtle tonal harmonies and softened contours, as seen here.

This piece suits a kitchen, butler’s pantry, dining room, or library, where its vertical format can punctuate a narrow wall or anchor a vignette above a console. Pair it with patinated copper, dark-stained oak, or limestone to echo its rustic subject, or set it against crisp plaster and linen to let the subdued palette speak. It can stand alone as a focal point or join a gallery of culinary and sporting subjects for a country house.