Parrots have long been treasured as exotic pets: Alexander the Great owned a green parrot with a rose-pink collar and blue cheeks (later known as the Alexandrine parakeet), and Charlemagne and Charles IV of France both possessed parrots. In the later Middle Ages the bird became associated with the Virgin Mary for obscure reasons, and was often represented in scenes of the Virgin and Child. Perhaps because of its ability to speak, it has symbolised eloquence, prophecy, a messenger, or even the human soul.
This delightful exhibition on the theme of parrots in art is the last major loan show to be staged at the Barber Institute by its director, Richard Verdi, before his retirement in September. Within the section displaying works on paper are both Durer's magnificent engraving of The Fall of Man (1504), where an Alexandrine parakeet perches on a branch above Adam, and the …
The Birmingham Post (England); January 30, 2007
The Spectator; February 24, 2007
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