Paul Baudry

Paul Baudry kept a pet parrot named César that squawked critiques while he painted. The bird probably agreed with the critics who called his murals “too pretty,” because Baudry chased perfect skin tones and dramatic poses. He died young, leaving behind grand ceiling frescoes in Parisian theaters, where velvet curtains still hide his painted skies. Track down his “Autoportret” to see why this perfectionist’s brushstrokes couldn’t outrun a single blackbird in the gilded halls.