A Partridge hanging from a string, and a pitcher, a pomme d’apis and an orange on a stone ledge

This composition — a partridge hanging from a string alongside a pitcher, a pomme d'apis (a small red apple), and an orange on a stone ledge — belongs to Chardin's hunting-trophy and larder tradition, combining game with the produce that would accompany it in a well-stocked kitchen. The pomme d'apis was a specific variety of small, decorative apple common in eighteenth-century French still-life painting, its compact red form a reliable compositional element that Chardin used across multiple works. The partridge's feathers offer the same textural challenge as the hare and rabbit — softness, iridescence, and directional structure — that Chardin handled with exceptional skill. The string from which the bird hangs introduces a vertical element that activates the composition's upper register and creates a sense of the painting as a window onto a real domestic space. No confirmed institutional location has been identified for this work.

The hanging partridge requires the painter to manage the complex textures of wing feathers, breast down, and exposed feet within a single figure. Chardin differentiates these areas through careful variation of stroke direction and pressure, moving from smoothly blended breast tones to more distinct feather markings on the wings. The orange and apple below introduce warm, saturated colour notes that anchor the lower portion of the composition.