A scarlet macaw (Ara macao), a sun conure (Aratinga solstitialis), a great tit (Parus major), a sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) and other birds with fruit in a park

Upon first seeing this picture, one would be forgiven to think Jakab Bogdány was a painter of parrots. And one would indeed be justified to think so, because most of his still lifes feature these birds, which were (re)discovered by his age, soon becoming prized possessions of the wealthy, and consequently functioning as symbols of wealth. At the same time, the parrot had acquired the same status among the symbols of European art as the monkey: an emblem of meaningless copying or imitation. In its turn, the still life was not simply a vacuous genre to represent flowers or shot-down animals, but was often a vanitas, a reminder of the passing of time. However, Jakab Bogdány considered the form a vehicle for the representation of worldly wealth, as did those customers in the 17th century who more and more often exchanged moralizing biblical scenes for still lifes. Bogdány used model animals for these paintings, and coupled this genre with that of the landscape, by placing the scenes in natural environments. Bogdány, who was born in Eperjes (now Slovakia), studied in Amsterdam, and went on to cater for the demand of the English aristocracy, which earned him considerable popularity among their circle, and an English citizenship by the end of the century. It adds to his interest that the Gábor Kovács Collection also holds a still life by Tóbiás Stranover, Bogdány’s son-in-law and disciple.