Temminck’s Tragopan 1918 - 1922

Archibald Thorburn captured this Temminck’s Tragopan with paint, giving the whole scene a somewhat dreamlike quality. Look at the feathers on this bird! The way Thorburn has dabbed and stippled the paint, creating these patterns of spots and dashes, it’s not just about representing what’s there. It’s more like he’s thinking through the paint. Each mark feels like a tiny decision, a little experiment with colour and texture. I find the layering of colours in the background intriguing too, like he’s trying to capture the way light filters through the trees. The artist seems to embrace the unpredictable nature of the medium, allowing for a looseness and spontaneity that makes the image feel really alive. This piece puts me in mind of Audubon, perhaps, but there is a softness in Thorburn's work, a delicacy of line and composition which leans into the imagination. In art, as in life, the journey is more interesting than the destination, and this painting is all about the magic of that process.