Painter of Birds

Melchior d’Hondecoeter, a master of avian portraiture, transformed 17th-century Dutch interiors with his vivid depictions of birds. His canvases, such as The Floating Feather (c. 1680), showcase a harmonious assembly of exotic and domestic species, pelicans, peacocks, and parrots, rendered with meticulous detail and lifelike animation. In the Slow Art format, each feather’s texture and each bird’s posture unfold gradually, inviting viewers into a serene world where nature’s elegance is captured in stillness. This work can be seen at [The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam,https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/object/The-Menagerie--85b9126eea1ac505a9e362ec827feb02?query=Melchior+d%E2%80%99Hondecoeter&collectionSearchContext=Art&page=1&sortingType=Popularity]