Page 228 - Eye of the beholder

THREE INDIAN ORNITHOLOGICAL STUDIES
It belongs to the Company School of early 19th Century Three birds are represented namely Rosefinch Yellow Wagtail and Little Green Heron fin in the Sadhus’ collection These three paintings have a a a a a a jewel-like quality rendered with precision and an an insightful fine eye which renders their form and character with utmost veracity or or or in other words almost like a a a a a a photograph The three birds Rose Finch Yellow Wagtail and Little Green Heron are portrayed sensitively and and with with an an an eye to detail The Green Heron is is is is greenish greenish with with crown and and crest which is is is is greenish greenish black The The underside of the throat is white They are mainly found in in in inland waters and and swamps of the the subcontinent Andaman Nicobar Lakshadweep and Maldives Its rendering against the the white stark paper with the the the context of of the the the branch of of wood clearly establishes the the the educative nature of of the the the painting painting The artist through these paintings representing the the the wide variety of of species of of of of birds found in in in India was part of of of of the the process of of of of an undertaking of of of of documenting the the flora and and fauna of of the the colonized land which was an an an integral part of of the the knowledge generation of of of the the the the study of of of birds in in the the the the tropical region The striking note of of of the the the the composition is the the the the character of of of the species of of of Green Heron which is accurately detailed in terms of of of its colour arrangement of feathers and and particularly the the the the eye and and the the the the beak It is also possible to differentiate the the the the textures of of of the the the the the the feathers feathers from the the the the the the soft short feathers feathers of of of the the the the the the underside with the the the the the the prominent and functional feathers of the the the the wings and and the the the the tail The nuanced tones and and the the the the subtle brushwork make it it a a a a a a a a a a brilliant piece of of art art art The artist has imparted a a a a a a a a a a personality of of proud bearing to this bird in the way it it it has been represented with its head held high Yellow Wagtail sparrow is is is characterized with its yellowish body and the name wag tail tail is is is so given because it it constantly wags its tail It is found in wetlands pastureland and and and wet wet paddy stubbles It breeds in in Ladakh North Kashmir in in Andaman Nicobar islands and and Sri Lanka A A small bird with dominant yellow colour that is partly present on the the head just above the the beak 222