Peregrine At Auchencairn 1923

Archibald Thorburn made this painting of a Peregrine Falcon, maybe in the late 19th or early 20th century, with watercolor. He had such a light touch. Look how he builds up the feathers, not with heavy outlines, but with tiny, careful strokes of grey and brown. It’s less about a photorealistic copy, more about suggesting the texture and form through color. The way he handles the ocean is interesting; it's almost abstract. He's not trying to capture every ripple, but just the feeling of a vast, open space. There are pink flowers and white feathers in the lower left, they are painted with such simple, direct marks. It reminds me a bit of Audubon, but softer, more impressionistic. I love how Thorburn isn’t afraid to let the watercolor do its thing, letting the colors blend and bleed. For me, this piece is a reminder that art is always a conversation, a translation, and never a perfect mirror. It's about the artist's hand and eye, and the magic they bring to the world.