Der verzweifelte Blick der Stockente im Fussgängerparadies (The desperate look of a Mallard in a pedestrian paradise)

Maurillo Minuzzi

Italian artist Maurilio Minuzzi creates an elegant image with a humorous title to catch the viewer off guard. Minuzzi is known for his minutely detailed imagery that often revolves around flora and fauna, with a classically trained eye that captures dramatic landscapes hinting at both Surrealism and the Symbolism of the Victorian era.

In this etching, Minuzzi depicts a Mallard duck in the foreground of marsh or meadow, appearing to try to hide behind low-growing shrubs with no success. On closer inspection the flora surrounfing the duck resembles palms, Italian cypress, and sycamores in miniature - even as the rest of the landscape is appropriately sized for the wayward fowl. The silky green of the duck's head, his bright yellow beak, a peak of chocolate brown on his neck are the only spots of color Minuzzi has chosen to apply to the piece.