Rabbit and Copper Pot Jean Baptiste Siméon Chardin (1699-1779)

The composition presents a still life arrangement centered around a suspended hare positioned directly in front of a large copper pot. The hare is depicted hanging by its hind legs, its fur rendered with a muted palette of grays and browns, suggesting a recent kill. Its posture conveys a sense of stillness and vulnerability.
The copper pot dominates the middle ground. Its warm reddish-brown hue contrasts with the cooler tones of the hare and background, drawing immediate attention. The pot’s substantial size and ornate handles imply utility and domesticity, while its metallic sheen introduces an element of luxury. Scattered around the base of the pot are several chestnuts, their dark brown color adding depth to the foreground. To the right, a small, pale apple rests on the surface, providing a contrasting shape and texture.
The background is deliberately understated – a roughly textured wall rendered in earthy tones. The lack of detail directs focus onto the objects themselves, emphasizing their materiality and symbolic weight. A subtle crack runs vertically across the wall, adding a touch of age and perhaps hinting at the passage of time or the fragility of existence.
Subtly, the arrangement evokes themes of sustenance and preparation for consumption. The hare represents both prey and potential nourishment, while the pot signifies the process of transformation – raw ingredients becoming a prepared meal. The chestnuts and apple contribute to this narrative of abundance and harvest. Beyond the literal depiction of food, however, there is an underlying sense of melancholy. The stillness of the hare, its lifelessness, introduces a note of mortality and the cyclical nature of life and death. The overall effect is one of quiet contemplation on the relationship between humanity, nature, and the necessities of survival.