Stylized Bird

Although nothing is known about its origins, this charming rendering of an unidentified bird recalls Pennsylvania German fraktur watercolors. The bird is posed regally between two flowering stems that resemble laurel. The leaves are painted freehand, but the blossoms were created with a stencil. The use of stencils suggests that the artist had no formal academic training; nevertheless, the design exhibits a remarkable decorative sense. Fine brushstrokes were used to render the wing feathers, and even tinier ones to shade the leaves encircling the bird. A spherical object resembling a globe or the top of a birdcage stands in a bowl formed by stippled leaves.