Water Birds

A colourful group of birds is assembled at the edge of a pool. The focus of the painting is the pink pelican on the left. The ground is covered in dirt, droppings, stones and twigs. Melchior d’Hondecoeter studied living birds in the aviaries and menageries in and around Amsterdam. He worked for wealthy citizens who lived in large buildings where…

A colourful group of birds is assembled at the edge of a pool. The focus of the painting is the pink pelican on the left. The ground is covered in dirt, droppings, stones and twigs. Melchior d’Hondecoeter studied living birds in the aviaries and menageries in and around Amsterdam. He worked for wealthy citizens who lived in large buildings where ‘salets’ (the forerunner of the salon) were decorated with wall and ceiling paintings. This picture once formed part of a much larger wall painting, as indicated by the crane on the left and the black bird to the right, which have both been severed. The canvas was apparently cut into smaller sections, which would have been easier to sell. Most of D’Hondecoeter’s wall paintings met with the same fate.