Parakeet

This painting dates from a period when Kees van Dongen met with sufficient success in Paris to allow him to travel to Spain and Morocco. The influence of the Mediterranean can be seen in the diagonal-patterned tiles in blue and white, colours echoed in the fabric draped on the bird cage. A vibrant spot of “Fauve” colour bursts forth from the top of the cage’s grille, where the bird pops its head out from the grating holding it back.