Castrica Fratina 1621 - 1651

Vincenzo Leonardi’s “Castrica Fratina,” a watercolor made sometime between the late 16th and mid-17th century, presents us with a shrike perched firmly on a branch. Note the shrike's intense gaze and the almost predatory grip of its talons. The shrike, often called the butcher bird, impales its prey on thorns. This behavior has led to its association with cruelty and violence, yet also with prudence, as it saves food for later. One cannot help but think of the Van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece, where similar intensity is imbued in the figure of Christ as Judge. Such imagery resonates through time. The shrike, like other symbols, undergoes constant metamorphosis. The intensity of its gaze, the strength of its grip, and the very nature of its existence tap into our deepest fears and instincts, reminding us of the delicate balance between survival and destruction, and the cyclical nature of existence.