Unlike its pendant (P7762), which reflects a more urban setting, the present painting conveys a more rustic atmosphere. A roughly woven basket with fruit—especially grapes, which drape over the front—is accompanied by a melon, one slice of which rests in front of the basket. A hare and various birds rest on, or hang over, a stone block, flanked by a bloody knife and a loaf of bread, all on an unmistakably rough stone surface. Both its composition and its constituent elements make this work an excellent example of the still life’s peculiar evolution at the court in Madrid around the middle of the 17th century, when successive domestic and international crises were leading the Spanish Habsburg monarchy into an irreversible decline that even affected the family itself.

In Portús’s opinion, this work’s aesthetic and technical characteristics recall a canvas attributed to Mateo Cerezo (P3159), although there are natural differences that argue against attributing it to him. Overall, it is rather mediocre, and not as polished as the works of other known artists. It draws on Van der Hamen and even Loarte, indicating that its creator moved in relatively narrow circles with respect to the still-life genre. It does, however, offer knowledge of still lifes in the court of Madrid around the middle of the 16th century, while simultaneously reflecting the influences of later artists—specifically the two mentioned above, but also some others. Still, its rustic interpretation of reality fails to achieve the detailed refinement and criteria that make many pieces by this artist’s contemporaries true masterworks (Text from Luna, J. J.: El bodegón español en el Prado. De Van der Hamen a Goya, Museo Nacional del Prado, 2008, p. 92).