"self portrait with owl"

thanks www.the-athenaeum.org.(PD)

A couple of days ago I brought you a glowing Jan Mankes painting of rabbits in the autumn mist.  Here's the other piece I wanted to show you:  his 1911 "Self Portrait with Owl."  He did have a beloved pet owl, sent to him as a gift by his patron A. A. M. Pauwels.

pet owl 1942

Museum Victoria Collections
http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/770100
Accessed 30 January 2016. PD

In the district of Nathalia, Victoria, Australia, a lucky boy holds his pet owl.  I'd smile like that if I had an owl friend too.  This 1942 snap comes from the Museum Victoria Collections and is part of "The Biggest Family Album in Australia."  This is a special collection that gathered over 9000 family photos, creating an intimate look at the history and culture of Australia through the everyday lives of its people.  Here's an article on this wonderful project.