Geelvoorhoofd parkiet (Bolborhyuchus aurifrons) 1650 - 1719

Jan Weenix created this watercolor of a yellow-fronted parakeet in the late 17th or early 18th century. It's a work that, on the surface, simply presents a beautiful bird. But, of course, it’s more than that. The Dutch Golden Age, when Weenix lived, was a period of immense global trade. Vivid depictions of exotic animals became fashionable amongst the wealthy merchant class who collected them as trophies of trade. These images speak to the social and economic structures of the time. Weenix's skillful rendering of the parakeet suggests a desire to document and classify the natural world, reflecting the burgeoning scientific interests of the period. But it also hints at a world being reshaped by commerce and colonialism, with images functioning as a form of symbolic possession. To understand Weenix’s painting fully, we need to investigate the records of trade, natural histories, and the social culture of the Dutch Golden Age.