Abraham Bisschop - A Red Macaw, Guinea Fowl, a Silver Pheasant and other Exotic Birds in a Park

Abraham Bisschop

A Red Macaw, Guinea Fowl, a Silver Pheasant and other Exotic Birds in a Park

Oil on canvas (relined). 100 x 134 cm.

This large and highly decorative canvas is fully in the tradition of Dutch avian painting, which was extremely successful in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Abraham Bisschop (Busschop), the last son of Cornelis Bisschop, was a painter at the Danish court and a member of the Middelburg Guild as of 1715. Besides portraits and decorative works for large houses, he mainly created scenes of birds. We find all the characteristics of Bisschop's style in this painting: domestic and exotic birds mingle in a large-format composition depicting an imaginary environment interspersed with classical architecture. In this, Abraham Bisschop follows the masters of this genre, especially Melchior de Hondecoeter. With comparable talent, the outstanding colourist renders the plumage of the birds with softness and lightness.

We would like to thank Dr Fred Meijer for confirming the attribution (written communication based on a photograph dated 15th September 2013). He references the recurring motif of the silver pheasant in Bisschop's works.

Provenance

In possession of a noble family in Belgium for several generations.