Folio recto: Blank; verso: Standing Bird with Wings Outspread c. 18th century

Editor: Here we have Jean-Baptiste Oudry's "Standing Bird with Wings Outspread," and I must say, there's something so delicately hopeful about it. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's a symphony of observation, isn't it? Oudry, bless his heart, captures the sheer exuberance of life in that bird. I see a celebration, a primal scream of existence rendered in delicate strokes. You almost hear it, don’t you? Editor: Absolutely! I feel like I can almost hear the bird squawking. Curator: Imagine Oudry, perhaps with a wry smile, capturing this creature. It makes me wonder, what was he truly trying to express? Perhaps it was as simple as the joy of witnessing such unrestrained vitality. Editor: That's really lovely, seeing the joy of life reflected in the drawing itself. Curator: Precisely! Art, at its core, is about connection. Oudry connected with this bird, and now, centuries later, we connect with them both.