Blue Crow is a portrait. It has one subject, one colour and a plain background. A large black bird sits on a rail and looks to the left. That is the whole picture, and it is one of the strongest dark pieces we make. This post looks at it closely.
What is in the picture
The bird fills most of the frame. It is perched at the bottom right on a thin rail, which catches a line of pale blue light. Its body faces us, and its head is turned in profile to the left, so that the heavy beak points across the picture.
The feathers are black. They are lit in blue: a deep cobalt on the head and wings, and a paler, almost turquoise blue where the light catches the ruffled feathers of the throat and the edges of the wing. The beak is lighter, with a touch of warm yellow and grey along its length. One small eye is visible, dark with a point of light in it. The feet on the rail are pale.
Behind the bird there is a flat ground of dark charcoal grey, with a rough, mottled texture like slate or worn plaster. There is no sky, no branch and no landscape.
Look closely and the lit parts of the bird have a fine dotted grain, a little like a printed halftone or a screen. It gives the feathers a slightly digital shimmer.
Crow or raven?
The piece is called Blue Crow. With its heavy beak and the shaggy feathers at the throat, the bird looks more like a raven. Ravens are larger than crows, with a thicker bill and loose throat feathers, and those are the features you see here. In art and folklore the two are often treated as one. Either name will do.
Why the blue is true to life
A crow's feathers are not flat black. They are glossy, and in sunlight they show blue, purple and green. The colour comes from the fine structure of the feather, which scatters light, as it does on a starling or a magpie. The blue in this piece exaggerates something real. Anyone who has watched a crow in bright sun will recognise it.
How the composition works
- The profile. A head in profile shows the shape of the beak and skull clearly. It also means the bird is looking away from us, at something we can't see. That gives the picture a sense of watchfulness.
- The diagonal. The body runs from the bottom right up to the head at the top left. A diagonal has more energy than an upright figure.
- The plain ground. With nothing behind it, the bird has all the attention. The textured grey stops the background looking empty.
- One colour. Blue, black and grey, with a small warm note on the beak. A limited palette reads clearly from a distance and is easy to place in a room.
- The rail. It is the only straight line in the picture, and the brightest. It anchors the bird at the bottom.
What crows and ravens mean
Few birds carry as much meaning.
- Intelligence. Crows and ravens are among the cleverest animals known. They use tools, solve puzzles, remember faces and plan ahead. In many stories the raven is the bird that knows things.
- Messengers. In Norse myth, the god Odin had two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, thought and memory, who flew over the world each day and told him what they saw.
- Creation and trickery. In the traditions of many peoples of the Pacific Northwest, Raven is a creator and a trickster who brought light to the world.
- Omens. In much of European folklore, crows were linked with death and bad luck, because they gather where there is carrion. Edgar Allan Poe's poem of 1845 fixed the raven as a figure of grief.
- Guardians. Ravens are kept at the Tower of London. Legend says the kingdom will fall if they leave.
- Change. In modern use, the crow often stands for transformation and for seeing what others miss.
So the bird can be read as dark or as wise. This piece leans towards the second. The crow is calm and alert, a watcher more than a threat. For more, see vamp romantic and whimsigoth: dark wall art.
The mood
Quiet, serious and a little mysterious. It is dark without being grim. It has the feel of a formal portrait, the kind painted of a person, given to a bird.
Where it works
- A study, library or reading corner. It suits books, dark wood and a lamp.
- A hallway. A single portrait at the end of a hall is a strong thing to walk towards. See hallway and entryway wall art.
- A grey room. The background is grey, so the piece sits naturally on grey walls, and the blue lifts it. See wall art for grey walls.
- A dark wall. On navy or charcoal the edges blend in and the blue feathers glow. See wall art for dark walls.
- A white wall. It becomes a bold dark rectangle. That works well in a spare, modern room.
- A gothic or dark academic room. It is an obvious fit.
It is a year-round piece. It also earns its place in October. See Halloween wall art that works all year.
What to pair it with
- Other blue animals. Frost Owl makes a pair of birds, one pale and one dark. Wolf Pack, two wolves in deep blue, shares the palette. See wolf symbolism in art.
- Black and white. Black Hole or a monochrome print.
- In the room: blue or grey textiles, black metal, dark wood, a brass or warm lamp to pick up the note on the beak.
The formats
- Canvas. Portrait, in fifteen sizes from 11 × 14 to 40 × 60 inches. Canvas has no glass, so the dark surface doesn't reflect the room. This is the best format for it.
- Matte poster. The low-cost option. A black frame suits it.
- Tapestry. For a large wall. At 68 × 80 inches the bird is far bigger than life.
- Acrylic keychain. A small gift for someone who likes crows.
See canvas vs poster vs framed poster and the canvas size guide.
Hanging and lighting
- Centre it about 57 inches from the floor. See the 57-inch rule.
- Dark pictures need light. Put a lamp nearby or aim a spotlight at it. In a dim corner the blue will be lost and the piece will read as a black rectangle.
- Neutral or slightly cool light keeps the blue clean. Very warm bulbs turn it towards grey.
As a gift
Good for a bird lover, a reader, a writer, or anyone with a taste for the gothic. Crows have devoted admirers. Each piece is made to order, so allow 2 to 7 business days for production and 3 to 7 for US delivery. Browse the canvas art collection for more.