The Turkeyشاييم سوتين · 1925

Identification of The Turkey by Chaim Soutine

The Turkey is an oil on canvas created by Chaim Soutine. Executed about 1925, the work belongs to the Jean Walter et Paul Guillaume collection. It is currently held at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris.

The piece reflects the artist's characteristic approach to still life, focusing on the physical presence of the subject through heavy impasto and agitated brushwork. Soutine’s handling of the medium emphasizes texture and the visceral qualities of the form.

Visual Composition and Subject Matter

The composition centers on a turkey, rendered with a visceral, fragmented quality. The subject appears fleshy and unstable, its form defined by agitated brushwork rather than sharp outlines. Thick, impasto textures create a palpable sense of physical weight, pushing the carcass toward the viewer through a shallow, intimate perspective. This close-up focus emphasizes the raw texture of the subject, stripping away environmental context to prioritize the immediate presence of the form.

The color palette is dominated by earthy tones, including ochre, deep browns, and muted golds. These hues are set against heavy, dark blues and blacks that swirl around the edges of the frame, creating a sense of turbulent movement. Through the use of distorted anatomy and intense emotionality, the work employs an Expressionist style to address themes of mortality and raw existence.

Related Works by Chaim Soutine

Soutine’s exploration of form and color extends through various subjects and periods. Around 1925, he produced Yellow Turkey, a work sharing a thematic connection to the study of animal carcasses. His engagement with the landscape is evident in Cagnes, dating to about 1923, and in Red Roofs, Céret, which was executed in 1922.

The artist's focus on the human figure is represented in Portrait of a Young Man, created about 1932. These works reflect a career defined by a continuous search for psychological depth and physical presence through distorted anatomy and heavy impasto.