Currently on loan from the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis
to the Scottish National Gallery
Oh, be still my beating heart! I have found a new desert-island painting.
We are so very lucky in Edinburgh to have a short (six-week) opportunity to spend time with Carel Fabritius’ masterpiece, The Goldfinch. Hub and I popped in to see it yesterday morning and it took our breath away.
I, like millions of others, was already in love with this image, having always been a huge fan of Flemish art, and having recently read Donna Tartt’s novel, The Goldfinch (see my review of the book here). It is probably also relevant that the goldfinch is one of my most favourite birds – I adore the bright colours of the male and particularly love their ‘waterfall’ chatter – check out this audio clip if you want to hear what I mean.
But nothing prepared me for the emotional pull, the beauty, the magic of the real thing. It looks so fresh, as if the paint was still drying.
You can read all about the paining and the artist’s rather tragic life in this excellent summary by the National Gallery. The painting is relatively small – you can get an idea of its size from the youTube clip below, which covers the story of its appearance in the USA in 2014.
I can see that I am going to be visiting the gallery even more often than usual in the coming weeks! 🙂
You are going to have so much fun! Every visit to that special place is like walking into magic realm.
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Yes you are so right! 😀
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Seeing a painting with your own eyes, as opposed to seeing a photograph or copy of it, is such a fantastic experience. I am glad you have been able to see the Goldfinch.
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😀💖
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Oh, how wonderful. It’s lovely that we can see so much art online now, but real life is so much better.
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Thanks, Jane – so true! 😀
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It’s strange how we always imagine art to be larger than most of it is in reality. It is a fine painting, an improvement on Cubism most definitely!
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Completely agree. Some of my favourite paintings are like tiny jewels and it is easy to forget the impact they have in real life when looking at them in books etc.
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I can feel your excitement all the way down here, Liz! I love goldfinches too. Enjoy your flying treasure; I hope you get to visit often before it flies away again 🙂
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Thank you Sandra! X 😀
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How wonderful to see this painting. Small but perfectly formed. 🙂
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It is a true delight – and a way of escaping into something beautiful! 🙂
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I agree with everyone’s comments: seeing a painting in reality rather than in photo is such a different experience. I love goldfinches too – we have a lot here and then males with their bright yellow plumage never cease to amaze me.
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Thanks, Letizia – so happy that we share a love of goldfinches! X
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