The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 20, 2024

Falcon on a Perch

Falcon on a Perch

c. 1610
gum tempera on paper
Miniature: 12.8 x 8.9 cm (5 1/16 x 3 1/2 in.)
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.165
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

A thin coat of malachite was applied for the background.

Description

Falcons were prized participants in royal hunting expeditions, and this painting may be a portrait of a favorite bird or a gift from an ally. The bird faces left, and the talons are tied to the perch with a black string. The light green background, flowering trees, and plants provide dynamism to the composition and reveal the artist’s awareness of Persian, Mughal, or Deccani styles of painting.
  • ?-2018
    Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Barbara Timmer, Beverly Hills, CA, partial sale and gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2018-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Falcon on a Perch|url=false|author=|year=c. 1610|access-date=20 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2018.165