Image source: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain). View source
The Goldfinch
Carel Fabritius · Baroque & Dutch Golden Age
- Artist
- Carel Fabritius (1622–1654)
- Date
- 1654
- Dimensions
- 33.5 x 22.8 cm
- Medium
- Oil on panel
- Location
- Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands
The Goldfinch shows a small bird perched on a feeding box fixed to a pale plastered wall, held by a fine chain attached to its leg. Goldfinches were popular pets in the Dutch Republic, trained to draw up water in a tiny bucket.
A closer look
Fabritius painted the bird almost life-size with quick, confident strokes, leaving the wall as a light, empty background. The yellow wing bars and red face shine against the cool grey, and the bird's shadow on the plaster makes it seem physically present. The panel may have been part of a piece of furniture or a trompe-l'œil meant to deceive the eye from a distance. Small as it is, the painting is one of the masterpieces of Dutch art, admired for its freshness and simplicity.