Paradise Flycatcher Possibly 1785

This is Jan Brandes's rendition of "Paradise Flycatcher", created with pen and watercolour. The artwork has a striking composition marked by the bird's elegant form against the stark whiteness of the sketchbook pages. Brandes employs a limited palette of black, grey, and brown, which creates a sense of understated elegance. The long tail feathers, bisected by the book’s central fold, create a tension between the two pages, almost as if the bird is escaping the confines of the book. The materiality of the ink and watercolour on paper emphasizes the artist’s hand, inviting the viewer to consider the process of observation and documentation. What is particularly striking is the semiotic interplay between the image and the scientific text at the bottom of the page, hinting at broader questions about nature, science, and art.