The Goldfinch

When I heard that this famous painting, the Goldfinch by Carel Fabritius, was coming to Edinburgh, I just had to go and see it. I first became aware of the painting through Donna Tartt’s novel, The Goldfinch, so it was wonderful to see the painting in real life, and made the novel come to life even more.

And the painting is so detailed and lifelike. I really liked the way that it was displayed in the centre of the room, a tiny painting among so many huge ones, but it really stands out by being placed in the middle of a large board. It really draws your attention to this little painting and makes you look at it and appreciate its beauty.

I couldn’t hope to capture the spirit of the painting myself, so I concentrated on drawing the room and the sense of scale.