Papageienmann

Max Slevogt's 'Papageienmann' (Parrot Man) of 1901 depicts the Portuguese baritone Francisco d'Andrade—nicknamed 'the parrot man' for his theatrical bird-handling performances—whom Slevogt painted repeatedly as his favourite subject from operatic and performance culture. D'Andrade was a celebrated Don Giovanni who appeared on the major European stages, and Slevogt's multiple portraits of him in character guises used the performer as a pretext for vivid colour and theatrical gesture. The Landesmuseum Hannover holds this work from Slevogt's most productive phase of engagement with this subject.

Slevogt's characteristically free, exuberant brushwork suits the theatrical subject—rapid strokes convey the parrot's vivid plumage and the performer's animated presence with an energy that matches the subject's flamboyance. The palette is characteristically bright and chromatic, departing from German academic conventions.