Chaim Soutine, The Rabbit

This is another entry in Soutine's recurring series of dead-animal paintings, but unlike the others, this rabbit, though dead, hasn't been plucked or cut open; it's rendered whole. Here Soutine focused his attention instead on capturing the texture of its fur.

The other striking detail is a red kettle placed beside the rabbit. It seems almost out of place, but this small prop exists for one purpose: to bring Soutine's favorite color, red, into the composition.