Blackgame in Springtime
1907
Swedish artist Bruno Liljefors was a master at capturing wildlife in its natural habitat, and this 1907 piece is a perfect example of his keen observation. He paints a dramatic springtime scene where male black grouse, known as blackcocks, are showing off their striking lyre-shaped tails to attract a mate. Notice the one male in the center puffing out his chest and the other in the foreground fanning his tail feathers, while a more modestly colored female watches from the side. Liljefors spent hours observing animals in the wild, which gave his work an incredible sense of movement and realism that went far beyond a static portrait.
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