Reimagining the California Quail

A contemporary take on an antique-looking bird.

This update of John James Ä¢¹½Av’s California quail, painted by portrait artist Marc Burckhardt on a wood panel, faithfully recaptures the bird’s appeal. “The quail looks like an antique to me, with its odd plume,â€� he says. The context, however, is thoroughly contemporary. “The thought of it now living in urban environments,â€� says the artist, “picking through the leftovers of our modern age, struck me as both a reflection of its endurance and our indifference to the natural wonders around us.â€�