Jakob Bogdány | A STILL LIFE OF MELONS, APPLES, PEACHES, PLUMS, FIGS, GRAPES, AND VINES ON A STONE LEDGE WITH A JAY AND PARROT

Born in Northern Hungary (modern day Slovakia), Bogdány moved to London in 1688 where his vivid still life and bird paintings were coveted by the aristocracy. Queen Mary and Queen Anne were among his clientele, and it was through Queen Anne that Bogdány met Admiral George Churchill (1654-1710), the younger brother of John, 1st Duke of Marlborough. Churchill had created an aviary full of unusual birds at Windsor, which perhaps inspired Bogdány's fascination with accurately depicting birds. Most of the paintings Churchill acquired were later given to Queen Anne and currently remain in the Royal Collection.

Unlike most of his paintings, which tend to be crowded with birds, this work achieves an elegant balance between colorful fruits and lively birds. It is likely that Bogdány made this still life during the summer, since his compositions were inspired by what he saw. Meanwhile, the inclusion of red-lored amazon (Amazona autumnalis) and Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) could have been based on birds he saw at Churchill's aviary.