a flying irritant

thanks wikimedia.com (pd)

This oil (date 1636-38) by the Flemish artist Paul de Vos is simply titled: "The Dog and the Magpie."  Magpies are often characterized as irritating birds in any case, but getting divebombed by one while minding your own urinating business would be cause for a snarl.  Excitement and odd drama like this is why I always have a soft spot for Baroque art (as this is).  Such shiny fangs.

This work, like many others by de Vos at this time, served to decorate one of two Spanish royal residences, possibly the Torre de la Parada.