Peacock Feather c. 1879 - 1882

Curator: This is "Peacock Feather," a watercolor by Charles Herbert. It’s a small work, only about 30 centimeters tall. My first impression is its stillness, a quiet, almost reverent study. Editor: Reverent, yes, but also a little melancholic, don't you think? The feather, isolated, evokes a sense of loss, like a relic of something grander now absent. Curator: Its formalism is compelling. Notice how Herbert uses the delicate gradations of color to define form and texture. The eye of the feather is almost jewel-like, drawing the viewer in. Editor: It feels like a memento mori, a reminder of fleeting beauty. The detail suggests a desire to capture and preserve the ephemeral. Curator: Indeed. The artwork functions as a symbolic meditation on beauty, and transience itself. Editor: Beautiful and brief, like the life of a peacock, or any of us, I suppose. A perfect little painting.