Lot Essay
The fable of the Raven, taken from Aesop, recounts the story of Zeus' election of a king of the birds. On an appointed day he commanded them all to assemble. The raven, realizing how dull he looked, collected all the colorful moulted feathers he could find and adorned himself with them. Zeus chose him to be king, but the other birds, realising his deception, stripped him, each one taking back his own feather. Casteels has chosen to portray the point in the tale where the peacock, robin, bullfinch, magpie, albino pheasant and the titmouse (who has been knocked to the ground in the mele) are extracting their own feathers. The moral to this story is, '[mankind] in debt, like the raven, cuts a dash with other people's money. Make them pay up, and you see how unworthy they are'.
Several studio versions attest to the popularity of this subject; see, for instance, the painting sold at Christie's, London, Nov. 17, 1989, lot 95 (46,500=$74,400).
Several studio versions attest to the popularity of this subject; see, for instance, the painting sold at Christie's, London, Nov. 17, 1989, lot 95 (46,500=$74,400).