Born into a family of artists, Melchior de Hondecoeter distinguished himself as a painter of birds, usually depicted in rowdy groups of mixed species. In this rare still life of dead game, the peacock’s delicate feathers contrast with the marble tabletop and the rabbit’s thick fur. The curious spaniel sniffing at the animals from beneath a velvet cloth strengthens the allusion to the hunt, a pastime reserved for elites, while the blue peacock, native to India and Sri Lanka, references the wildlife imported via trade networks built along routes to Dutch colonies in Southeast Asia.