Cock and Hen Pheasant in Winter 1926

Archibald Thorburn painted these Cock and Hen Pheasants in Winter with watercolour on paper. I wonder what it must have been like for Thorburn, painting outside in that snowy landscape. I love the way he's captured the light filtering through the trees, and the soft, muted colours of the winter scene. There's a real sense of stillness and quiet in this painting, as if time has stopped. The texture is so detailed, you can almost feel the cold, crisp air and hear the crunch of the snow underfoot. The way he’s painted the pheasant, with it's vibrant colour - all reds, oranges, blacks and blues - is a testament to his skill as an artist. I imagine he spent hours studying these birds, observing their movements and capturing their unique character on paper. There's something so beautiful about the way artists like Thorburn dedicated their lives to capturing the beauty of the natural world. Painting has allowed us all to see, think, and experience the world in new ways, both then, and now.