A trompe l'oeil of a green woodpecker and two birds held by a string and nail on a wooden board, with a drawing of a deer being chased by a hound in a landscape; and A trompe l’oeil of a jay and a small bird held by string and nail on a wooden board with a fly

The motif of dead birds hanging on a wall is a common subject found in trompe l'oeil paintings, with a history extending back to ancient Greece and Italy. In the present compositions, the birds are set against wooden backboards, suspended from protruding nails. Adding to the deceptive realism is the fly in the second of the pair, making its way toward the jay.