Jacob Bogdani

Ackerman Gallery, New York, where purchased by the Helis family before November 29, 1960;
William G. Helis, Jr., New Orleans, Louisiana;
By whose Estate sold, ("The Property of the Succession of William G. Helis, Jr."), New York, Sotheby's, January 11, 1990, lot 140, to Richard Green;
With Richard Green, London, by whom purchased by the late collector in 1992.

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This picture has been lined using glue as an adhesive. It has been quite recently cleaned, retouched and varnished. No retouches are visible under ultraviolet light and while the picture looks well, although it is quite thin in parts, there are most likely restorations here and there. With the naked eye restorations are visible along a join in the canvas running across the top edge. One may also assume that the thinness to the paint layer throughout has been addressed here and there with retouches which do not show clearly under ultraviolet light. However, the picture could be hung in its current state.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Born in Hungary in 1660, Bogdani spent most of his artistic career
outside of his native land; by 1684 he was in Amsterdam, and by 1688 he was settled in London.  He would remain in England for the rest of his life, painting elaborate and highly decorative compositions that incorporated flowers and exotic bird species, of which the present picture is a fine example. 

Throughout his career, Bogdani received commissions from some of the leading aristocratic collectors of the seventeenth century, such as the decoration for Queen Mary II of her Looking-glass Closet in the Water Gallery at Hampton Court, London. 

The parrot depicted here, which from his bright coloration appears to be the St. Vincent Amazon parrot, a native of the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, reveals Bogdani's fascination with exotic birds, which he studied firsthand in the aviary owned by one of his patrons, the Admiral George Churchill (1653 - 1710).

We are grateful to Fred Meijer of the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie, The Hague, for endorsing the attribution, based on photographs.