Two Owls Fighting over a Rat – Hans Georg Müller

Two owls, one rat, and no mercy. Out of a dark brown background loom two eagle owls, feathers bristling and eyes blazing orange. One raises a great wing as they lock claws over their prey, a rat caught between them. The painter catches the instant of the struggle, all tension and ruffled plumage.

Animal fights were a favourite subject of Baroque painters, who loved drama, movement and the textures of fur and feathers. This dark, intense scene belongs to that tradition.

Why it works on your wall

• Dramatic and unusual: a striking image for a study, a library or a cabinet of curiosities
• Deep, warm shadows: browns and ambers that suit dark walls and old wood
• Framing tip: an old gold or black frame reinforces the Baroque atmosphere

The painting

This oil on canvas is attributed to Hans Georg Müller, a painter active in Sweden in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It belongs to the collections of the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm.

• Artist: attributed to Hans Georg Müller
• Date: late 17th–early 18th century
• Technique: oil on canvas
• Original: Nationalmuseum, Stockholm
• Theme: owls, birds of prey, Baroque

Your print

• Colours restored from a high-definition scan of the original
• Printed in Europe on thick archival matte paper, FSC certified
• From A3 to A0, plus 40×60, 50×70, 60×90 and 70×100 cm and 12×18 to 27×40 inch sizes, all made for standard frames
• Free shipping, no minimum order. Shipped rolled in a sturdy tube

Pair it with Bruno Liljefors’ Eagle Owl, or explore our vintage animal prints.