Cassowary 1745

"Cassowary" is a 1745 painting by French artist Jean-Baptiste Oudry, currently housed at the Staatliches Museum Schwerin in Germany. The painting depicts a single cassowary, a large flightless bird native to New Guinea and northeastern Australia, standing on a rocky shore with the ocean in the background. Oudry's work exemplifies the 18th-century fascination with exotic animals and the detailed realism of the Rococo style. The intricate depiction of the cassowary's feathers and the dramatic composition make this a striking example of the artist's skill in animal portraiture.