A trompe l’oeil with a bird cage and falconry equipment hanging in a niche

The works of Anthonie Leemans, a Hague-based painter, are characterized by trompe l'oeil still lifes with hunting and bird-catching themes. This genre became popular among collectors in the seventeenth century, popularized by Jacob and Cornelis Biltius. The present painting depicts a bird cage, pouch, hunting horn, sling, and other equipment, suspended in a niche with cracks along the wall.

The painting's attribution has wavered between Anthonie and his brother Johannes Leemans (c. 1633-1660), the brother of Anthonie, whose works present the same subjects and use a similar palette. We are grateful to Fred G. Meijer for confirming the attribution on the basis of photographs (written communication, 8 May 2026).