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The Goldfinch shows a life-size chained goldfinch standing on a feeder—a blue container with a lid, surrounded by two wooden half-rings fixed to the wall. This colorful bird is a popular pet and can learn simple tricks, including lifting a thimble-sized bucket. It was said to bring health and good luck, and was used in Italian Renaissance painting as a symbol of Christian salvation and the Passion of Jesus.
The piece was created as part of a larger structure, possibly a window frame or a protective cover. Its author, Carel Fabritius, was one of the most famous Dutch painters of the time. There are indications (though no evidence) that Johannes Vermeer used similar pale walls illuminated by sunlight, and was a pupil of Fabricius. On October 12, 1654, Fabricius died at the age of 32 in the explosion of the arsenal in Delft, which killed at least 100 people and destroyed a quarter of the city, including his workshop and many of his paintings. Few of his works are known to have survived. The Goldfinch was painted the year Fabricius died. The painting was probably in its creator’s studio in Delft when the gunpowder exploded.
This beautiful Goldfinch is featured in our 50 Masterpiece Postcard Set, featuring some of the most famous, classic and stunning paintings in Western art history.
PS Learn more about the novel and film based on this magnificent little painting. <3
33.5 x 22.8 cm
Dutch Golden Age Paintings
Mauritshuis, The Hague
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