Gaai opgesierd met de veren van een pauw 1747 - 1847

Pierre Savart made this etching, "Gaai opgesierd met de veren van een pauw," or "Jay Adorned with the Feathers of a Peacock," in France around the mid-18th century. It is based on one of Aesop’s fables. Here we see the jay, a somewhat drab bird, strutting about in the vibrant plumage of the peacock. He tries to join a flock of peacocks but is soon rejected because he is not one of them. The fable satirizes social climbing and false pretenses. In the rigid social hierarchy of 18th-century France, appearances were everything. The aristocracy flaunted their wealth and status through elaborate dress and manners, setting themselves apart from the lower classes. The etching is a commentary on the futility of trying to imitate the aristocracy without possessing their inherent qualities or lineage. To fully understand this image, one might research the traditions around fables and their illustrations, as well as conduct research on the prevailing social mores of 18th century France.