Details
The image
A heron standing in shallow water, drawn with a fine line and coloured in flat, muted tones, the background reduced to reeds and a band of sky. The bird is placed off-centre so that the empty water carries as much of the picture as the animal does.
Where it comes from
Natural history illustration of the nineteenth and early twentieth century was made for people who would never see the animal alive and it worked to a strict standard: one clear silhouette, accurate proportions, no drama. The best of it survived the century precisely because it removed everything that was not the bird.
On the wall
It suits a study, a hallway or a bedroom, where a quiet image with a single subject can be read closely. Because the palette is muted and the drawing is fine, it needs daylight and a wall that is not busy. In a group it should be the calmest piece.
In company
Hung as a pair with something from the Vintage collection, it gains rather than loses.In a group, give it a plain neighbour, the bird needs empty space to read as a bird. The water is left as bare paper, which is why the bird appears to stand in light.
