Still life with a Swan

The museum's finest work by Snyders is his "Still life with a Swan". The main theme of this work is bounty and riches of nature, her constant renewal. The abundance of earthly blessings seems infinite. A servant is carrying in a plate of figs, a symbol of fertility. And the dead game itself seems to be alive: the boar's head snarls fiercely, the swan stretches her neck regally, and the fleet-footed deer is poised in flight, while a dog sniffs at the game and a parrot claws it. Birds symbolize air,while fruit stands for the earth and sea mollusks foe water. The picture radiates a keen awareness of the feast of life, which is heightened by the strong colors.