Chinese frankolijn (Excalfactoria chinensis) 1759 - 1842

Pieter Pietersz. Barbiers created this image of a Chinese frankolijn, or painted quail, in pen and watercolor. Images of exotic animals and plants became popular with European audiences in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Dutch, in particular, were active participants in global trade networks, and there was a growing market for images that represented foreign lands and people. Birds such as this quail were collected, traded, and displayed in private collections and menageries. Zoological gardens were opening up across Europe and the Americas at this time. This image thus reflects a culture of collecting and classifying the natural world through the institutions of art and science. Historians of science and art investigate the relationships between artistic depictions and scientific observation. Looking at illustrated manuscripts, collection inventories, and travelogues can teach us more about the cultural and institutional contexts in which images like these were created and consumed.