Carl Henning Pedersen (Danish, 1913–1993). *Flying Bird*, 1951. Oil on canvas, 47 1/2 x 40 inches (120.6 x 101.6 cm). Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; Gift of Seymour H. Knox, Jr., 1964 (K1964:12). © Estate of Carl-Henning Pedersen / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris.

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Carl-Henning Pedersen

Danish, 1913-2007

Flying Bird, 1951

oil on canvas

support: 47 1/2 x 40 inches (120.65 x 101.6 cm)

Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York

Gift of Seymour H. Knox, Jr., 1964

K1964:12

More Details

Inscriptions

signature / back / Carl-Henning Pederson

Class

Paintings

Work Type

Oil painting

Information may change due to ongoing research.Glossary of Terms

Carl-Henning Pedersen’s paintings are expressive interpretations of a poetic, dreamlike world informed by his personal experiences and Nordic folklore. Flying Bird is from a series of works in which the artist depicts large birds dominating the picture plane. Pedersen equated the image of a bird with freedom, and it appears among even his earliest works. In the painting presented here, its head seems to be disproportionately large when compared to its body, which is only supported in flight by a tiny wing. This peculiar creature hovers over a nocturnal landscape that could be a series of hills, buildings, or perhaps another fantastical being. Yet, how could this be a night scene when the sun is shining from the upper-right corner? Such contradictory imaginings form the cornerstone of Pedersen’s whimsical visual iconography.

Label from Menagerie: Animals on View, March 11–June 4, 2017