Artwork
Bird piece, with four different vultures
Bird piece, with four different vultures is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Philipp Ferdinand de Hamilton. It dates from 1748 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Four distinct vulture species are depicted with anatomical accuracy, arranged to emphasize individual characteristics while maintaining a cohesive composition.
Executed in oil paint on canvas, the work measures 91 cm in height and 98 cm in width. The handling reflects the artist’s precise, naturalistic approach, with careful attention to feather structure and subtle tonal gradations to convey volume and texture. Four distinct vulture species are depicted with anatomical accuracy, arranged to emphasize individual characteristics while maintaining a cohesive composition.
The formal qualities align with the European tradition of animal painting, where scientific observation merges with artistic rendering to produce a didactic yet aesthetically refined image.
History & Provenance
The painting titled Bird piece, with four different vultures was created by Philipp Ferdinand de Hamilton in 1748. Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 91 cm in height and 98 cm in width. It depicts various birds, including falcons and herons, within the genre of animal art.
The piece is currently held in the Belvedere collection, which is associated with the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
The painting is held in the collection of the Belvedere, which is part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. While specific inventory or accession numbers are not provided in the available records, the work is consistently attributed to this institution. The piece, depicting various birds including falcons and herons, was created in 1748. There is no documented exhibition history available in the current sources regarding this specific artwork's display record.
Overview
Philipp Ferdinand de Hamilton’s 1748 oil painting, titled Bird piece, with four different vultures, is part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s collection. Executed in the Rococo period, the work presents a small group of birds against a dark backdrop, using light and shadow to emphasize their forms and create a sense of motion.
Subject & Meaning
The composition features four avian figures, including a large white heron (Ardea) and a falcon, arranged so that the central bird appears to be taking flight. The juxtaposition of species and the dynamic poses suggest an observation of natural behavior, while the contrasting dark background highlights the birds’ plumage and beaks.
Context
During the mid‑18th century, European art increasingly incorporated naturalistic subjects, and Hamilton’s interest in ornithology aligns with contemporary scientific curiosity. The Rococo style, with its emphasis on elegance and lightness, informs the composition’s graceful arrangement of the birds and the subtle play of light across the canvas.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Philipp Ferdinand de Hamilton (c. 1664 – 1750), was an 18th-century painter from the Southern Netherlands active in Austria.
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