Luigi Broglio (18th Century)
Study of a Bird
Gouache and watercolor with ink on paper
Paper size: 9 1/8 x 7 1/8 in.
Frame size: 20 1/2 x 18 3/4 in.
Signed ‘Luigi Broglio’ l.r.

This flawlessly drafted study is an excellent example of the 18th-century Italian School of natural history painting. Luigi Broglio has depicted the bird in perfect detail, its coloring and plumage meticulously rendered. Though Broglio was concerned with capturing his subject's precise physical characteristics, he has also endowed this watercolor with striking animation, as the bird seems to have landed, suddenly, on the slender branch. The balance of scientific documentation and artistic creativity makes this an incredibly engaging work and a stunning example of original work from this period.