He was a pioneer in many fields, and introduced several new themes to Dutch painting. He made the Netherlands’ first floral still life, and was the most notable painter of the legendary (extinct) dodo. He was also the first artist who went out into the streets to draw ordinary people. His painted landscapes are often like a fairytale, featuring ancient ruins and marvellous vistas. And his animal paintings include so many species that it would be an understatement to describe them as 'crowded'.
Roelant Savery's Wondrous World, featuring over 40 paintings and drawings, including works on loan from museums in the Netherlands and abroad, will introduce visitors to this highly versatile artist.
Savery and the Dodo
The Roman poet Ovid describes how Orpheus enchants animals with his music. All creatures of creation come together when they hear him play his lyre, living harmoniously without harming each other. Roelant Savery seized upon this subject to showcase his skill as an animal painter. He depicted a wide variety of species: a pair of lions, a cheetah, a rhinoceros, and a camel, as well as cattle, other livestock, and numerous birds. A ostrich stands out against the blue background. On the right, a dodo perches on a rock. Savery included this extinct bird in several animal paintings.
The dodo was a flightless bird that inhabited the island of Mauritius in the western Indian Ocean. After Dutch sailors arrived there in the early 17th century, the bird's fate was sealed. The dodo became extinct due to intensive hunting and the introduction of foreign diseases. Since then, the dodo has become a well-known symbol of species extinction resulting from human actions.
Emperor Rudolf II possessed a dodo in his extensive collection of rare animals. Whether it was a living specimen or a taxidermy mount remains uncertain. Roelant Savery encountered the bird in Prague and became the artist of the dodo, being the first to paint this bird. Notably, Savery's depictions of the dodo are rather plump, whereas the actual bird was slimmer. This suggests that Savery based his paintings on a taxidermied specimen that had been overstuffed. The Museum in Prague preserves an upper jawbone, likely from Rudolf's dodo. Savery's portrayal of the dodo with its round forms served as inspiration for other artists.
