In 1883 Carlsen exhibited for the first time at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. At this point he was still a rising young artist, but definitely a successful one. Although it is a still life of game, which were common among Carlsen’s mature work, the museum’s picture was painted before the artist developed his characteristic style during the coming half, decade. The painting’s strong contrasts, rich chiaroscuro, and bold brushwork mark it as an early work, unlike the softly atmospheric, smoothly painted still-life canvases of his mature style. Nevertheless, it is a masterful painting, executed with economy and finesse. In its strongly asymmetrical arrangement and clear sense of pictorial geometry it reveals the essential qualities of Carlsen’s approach to, still life.
