Ornithological Painting Gallery
Birds can often be found in the background of many historical paintings. Though they typically appear on the edges or in smaller scale, they are often marvels of painted detail, as their accurate portrayal – much like that of textiles – was long considered a sign of artistic mastery. In the famous ancient painting competition between Zeuxis and Parrhasios, birds and a curtain played key roles.
With the advent of oil painting during the late Gothic period, this naturalistic ambition gained new momentum. Since then, many altarpieces and depictions of saints have held significance not only for the devout but also for botanists and ornithologists. Initially, the focus was on native species for general verification, but with the Baroque period, interest skyrocketed in exotic birds like parrots and cockatoos.
Edith Payer’s Ornithological Painting Gallery brings together these often-overlooked details into a dense series. The paintings used for this project span several centuries and are housed in various museums across Vienna. With the help of a fellow ornithologist, Payer had the birds depicted scientifically identified. The Latin name of each bird was then adopted as the new title for each work.
