What inspires the things we create? The inspiration behind my “Goldfinch” painting.
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We all create (whether it is making a cake, writing a book, building or decorating a house); creation comes from intention, meaning and inspiration.
Inspiration can come from anywhere – it might simply be a feeling, thought or view, but often it comes from stories or the work of others who inspire us, something we build on from our own interpretation and perspective.
The best way of finding inspiration as an artist is looking at other artists’ work and learning from them, and with anything that you practice at, the more you paint, the more you learn to develop your own style.
The inspiration behind my ‘original oil painting of Goldfinch’ came from a book I read by American Pulitzer prize winning author, Donna Tartt, entitled ‘The Goldfinch’, which is loosely based on the real-life painter, Carel Fabritius’ own story and his famous painting of ‘The Goldfinch’. Fabritius’ painting exists but was almost blown up in a gunpowder explosion, which follows Tartt’s theme in her novel.
My original ‘Goldfinch’ oil painting is a small, complex piece of this little bird set against a deep red/brown/green backdrop, the bird sitting on its perch and furtively peering out at its audience, complemented by the complex grain of the door and his colourful feathers.
‘Goldfinch’ original on fireplace, oil on canvas 12 inch x 12 inch standard edge
Carel Pietersz Fabritius was a young Dutch artist born in February 1622, in Middenbeemster, Dutch Republic. He was initially a carpenter but later studied as a student of the Master Rembrandt, at his studio in Amsterdam. He was reportedly one of Rembrandt’s most talented students because he developed his own unique style, often painting on light backgrounds as opposed to the dark backgrounds traditional in art and of his Master at that time.
In early 1650, Fabritius moved to Delft and joined the painters’ guild in western Netherlands. It was on 12th October 1654 when a gunpowder magazine warehouse exploded and Fabritius was caught in the explosion which destroyed a large part of the city along with Fabritius’ studio and many of his paintings. Fabritius, aged 32, tragically died along with many others in the town, and only 12 of his paintings survived.
Donna Tartt’s book, which has also inspired a film by the same name, is set in the 20th century, where, instead of a gunpowder explosion, there is a terrorist bombing at a museum and the protagonist, a 13-year-old boy, steals ‘The Goldfinch’ painting by Fabritius where his mother has been killed.
The actual painting of ‘The Goldfinch’ is an intriguing painting of a small, domesticated bird sitting on a perch, held by a chain and living in perpetual captivity. It measures only 13 x 9 inches, and the bird is incredibly lifelike. The painting is now on permanent display at the Mauritshuis in The Hague, Netherlands.
Inside of Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch novel, showing Fabritius’s The Goldfinch original oil painting
Over the history of painting, the Goldfinch has been used as an icon in art. It was a symbol in Italian Renaissance painting during the 1400s for Christian redemption and the Passion of Jesus. During Fabritius’ lifetime, the Goldfinch was a popular pet, and was thought to be a bringer of good health.
The Goldfinch is a colourful bird with a bright-red face and a yellow wing patch. It has a pleasant song, is social and often breeds in small colonies. Goldfinches like to eat seeds and are frequent visitors to bird tables and feeders in winter. In the UK, the Goldfinch migrates in winter as far south as Spain but is also a common bird across Europe, North Africa and western and central Asia. The RSPB is a great source of information on birds (link below).
It is ironic that Fabritius created The Goldfinch in the middle of the fourteenth century whilst the Black Death pandemic gripped Europe. With our own Coronavirus pandemic currently in full force, it seems extraordinary that Fabritius’ painting should have inspired me at this particular time, to paint a goldfinch (however, I did not know of this particular fact when I was creating my painting)!
The first book I read by Donna Tartt was ‘The Secret History’ (her debut novel), beautifully written and a modern-day classic involving a detective story told by the books’ narrator. Donna Tartt’s books can be challenging but hook you in, because of the way that she portrays her characters - her book of ‘The Goldfinch’ is no exception. Apart from the book and film versions of ‘The Goldfinch’, it is, in the end, the entrancing painting by Fabritius of ‘The Goldfinch’ which inspired me.
Fabritius was obviously a very talented artist; he developed his own unique artistic style, different from his Master, experimenting with perspective and lighting, displaying his own subtle artistry, skill and talent. Fabritius often featured delicately lit subjects against light-coloured, textured backgrounds. His cool colour-harmonies created shape in a luminous style, and he played with spatial effects and used a heavily loaded brush.
My original oil painting of ‘Goldfinch’ in no way holds the same artistic mastery as the original by Fabritius but is more of a complement to Donna Tartt’s story and Fabritius’ painting, which is centre-stage to Donna Tartt’s novel. The book was so much at the forefront of my mind when I painted my own Goldfinch and is a tribute to them both.
Inspiration has to come from somewhere and my painting of ‘Goldfinch’ will always be personal to me because of the journey it took in its making and the feelings which I felt, almost as a 17th century student of Rembrandt himself, and a character in Tartt’s novel. However, my goldfinch is peering out at its audience from its perch, is untethered and free, stopping for a moment before, like a leaf in the wind, he flies away. Fabritius’ goldfinch is clipped, held for its lifespan as a prisoner. I like the thought that I have somehow set the Goldfinch free.
If you would like to learn more about my paintings of Little Birds, visit my website or subscribe to hear more news and up-and-coming collections (my Gold series of Little Birds), as well as for discounts and sales.
Warmly,
Patricia
Patricia Valenti is a fine artist and life-long painter, beginning her artistic studies as a young girl. Her passion for nature and the beauty of animals and wildlife can be seen in her work as she puts images together and transforms familiar and rare animals and wildlife into stunning interpretations of bold and muted hues, with emotional impact. Her walks around her home inspire her work.
References
RSPB Profile on Goldfinch
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/goldfinch/
Wikipedia article on Fabritius’s “The Goldfinch”