The Poultry Seller, Willem van Mieris, 1733
Van Mieris demonstrates his superb artistry in this painting. The dazzling array of materials and textures is a feast for the eyes. The fur of the hare, the feathers of the pheasants and ducks, the stone of the relief –all of this is rendered with the utmost, almost tangible precision. The figures are framed twice, as it were: by the arched stone window and the actual frame around the painting.