Artwork
Girl with a Parrot
Girl with a Parrot is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingelandt. It dates from 1673 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. Created in 1673, this oil on canvas presents a young woman positioned in a window, clutching a metal birdcage that holds a blue parrot.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1673, this oil on canvas presents a young woman positioned in a window, clutching a metal birdcage that holds a blue parrot. She is dressed in a brown garment trimmed in white, her hair neatly gathered, and looks directly at the viewer with a calm expression. Behind her, a dim interior is hinted at by a partially drawn red curtain.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the interaction between the figure and the exotic bird, a motif that often symbolized leisure, curiosity, or the allure of the foreign in Dutch genre painting. The direct gaze of the woman invites contemplation, while the open cage may suggest themes of freedom versus confinement, a subtle narrative common in 17th‑century domestic scenes.
Technique & Style
Employing a refined chiaroscuro, the artist renders the figure and cage in luminous detail against a shadowed backdrop, achieving a convincing sense of space. Meticulous brushwork captures the texture of the fabric, the sheen of metal, and the plumage of the parrot, reflecting the fijnschilder tradition’s emphasis on precision and surface realism.
History & Provenance
The work is attributed to Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingelandt, a pupil of Gerard Dou and a noted member of Leiden’s fijnschilders. After remaining in private hands for centuries, the painting entered the collection of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is currently displayed as part of the museum’s Dutch Golden Age holdings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingelandt
Pieter Cornelisz van Slingelandt (20 October 1640 – 7 November 1691) was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter who had been a pupil of Gerard Dou and is known as one of Leiden's fijnschilders.
Portrait of Johan Hulshout (1623–1687)
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Man Holding a Watch
Kitchen Scene
Portraits of a Man and a Woman framed with two ornamental frieze miniatures with shell motif and a Triumph of Amphitrite
Portrait of Anna Splinter, wife of Johan Hulshout (1623–1687)
Johan van Musschenbroek and His Wife
