Pa. German Toy Bird 1935 - 1942

This painting of a Pa. German Toy Bird was made by Arsen Maralian, but we don't know exactly when. It’s a small watercolor, just nine by eleven and a half inches, and the original object was even smaller. I can imagine Maralian, bent over a table, carefully rendering this little bird. The paint seems thin, almost translucent, allowing the paper's surface to breathe underneath. Look at the way he’s built up the layers of color to give the bird its dark, almost brooding presence. What was Maralian thinking as he painted? Was he remembering a toy from his own childhood, or perhaps just trying to capture the simple beauty of a handmade object? There’s a tenderness in the way he depicts this humble toy. And, like all artists, he adds a touch of his own magic! That little bird might seem like a simple thing, but it speaks to our shared human love for play, for art, and for memory. And isn't that what we all are trying to capture?