Paul de Vos, 
Flemish 1596-1678- 

Hens, cockerels, ducks and chicks by a hen-house with a bird of prey swooping; 

oil on canvas, signed P. de Vos (lower right), 106.8 x 156 cm. 

Provenance: 
Private Collection, UK. 

Note: 
We are grateful to Dr Fred Meijer for confirming the attribution of the present lot.

Paul de Vos is generally celebrated as a talented follower of his brother in law Frans Snyders (1579-1657), to whom many of his better works have often been attributed. Like the older artist he specialised in hunting scenes, still lifes and depictions of animals and birds. Whilst his early output was so close to Snyders that motifs recur in works by both artists, by the time de Vos has reached maturity, he was creating skillfully executed, independent compositions that are marked out from Snyders by their more boisterous compositions, increased levels of detail and a heightened interest in the movement of animals. This can be seen in the present painting which is dominated by the swooping bird of prey. Like Snyders, de Vos found significant success with such scenes amongst an elite, international clientele, counting among his patrons Charles-Philip, Duc d'Arenberg, in Madrid; the first Marqués de Leganés, also in Spain; and the Emperor Ferdinand III. Monumental animal scenes like the present work were highly sought after by this milieu, in part because they served as the ideal furnishing for the grand hunting lodges popular in 17th-century courtly circles throughout Europe. The quintessential example of such a residence was Philip IV's 'Torre de la Parada' outside Madrid, of which, although Snyders was granted the commission, many of the animal scenes are now considered to be by de Vos. De Vos collaborated with many of the great Flemish artists of his day, including Rubens (who was godfather to one of his children) and van Dyck ('Rest on the Flight into Egypt'; Hermitage, St Petersburg). The present work is entirely characteristic of de Vos's oeuvre - for close comparison, see, for example, the artist's 'Combat de volatiles dans une cour de ferme' [listed on the RKD as 108959]. See, also, the artist's ambitious composition 'Le concert d'oiseaux' which sold recently at Christie's, Paris, 15 September 2020, lot 85 (€310,000).