Royal French School

Power polished to perfection. These portraits are thrones in oil—where every silk fold and sword hilt proclaims divine right.

  • Le Coq de roche du Pérou. (1806)

    Le Coq de roche du Pérou. (1806)

    Jacques Barraband (French, unknown)

    A fiery splash of orange and black perches against muted greens—the cock-of-the-rock’s plumage burns bright, its sharp beak and watchful eye hinting at wild, unseen forests. Every feather seems alive, painted with a precision that makes the bird almost breathe on the page.