French School 1810
Two Exotic Birds and a Goldfinch
Medium:
Oil on Canvas
Category:
Dimensions:
41(h) x 33(w) cms
Framed Dimensions:
48(h) x 39.5(w) cms
Signed:
Indistinctly signed lower right and dated 1810
Essay:
These two charming exotic birds, one a vivid red with blue legs and the other bright green with a yellow face, together appear to be a yellow-bibbed lory (left) and a buff-faced pygmy parrot (right). Above them on the branch sits a European goldfinch, a rather unlikely neighbour for these tropical birds anywhere other than in a menagerie.
The lory, with its distinctive blue legs, dark cap, greenish wings, and yellow band on its upper chest comes from the Solomon Islands. They can mimic human speech and, fortunately, are not presently endangered.
The biff-faced pygmy parrot is the world's smallest parrot growing to slightly over 8 cm in length. They come from New Guinea and are also not presently endangered.
Sexual dimorphism is not pronounced in these species so it is not certain if these two birds are male or female.
Provenance:
Private collection, Germany