It must have been a great honour for Hondecoeter to receive commissions from the country’s ruler. He made this regal bird scene for Het Loo, the palace of William and Mary. It features a pelican in the foreground, a cassowary behind it at the left, a flamingo and a black crowned crane. Water birds congregate in and around a basin, and a feather floats on the water’s surface.

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　Melchior d'Hondecoeter specialized in the portrayal of birds. He painted not only chickens, ducks, peacocks and turkeys, but also exotic birds. This painting was commissioned by the stadholder Willem III and his wife Mary for Het Loo Palace. Keeping exotic animals in a menagerie was popular among the well-to-do owners of country homes. Willem III had a number of menageries, including one at Het Loo Palace.

　Probably painted for Het Loo palace. Transferred to the vestibule of the Hunting Lodge at Soestdijk palace. From 1800 in the National Konst-Gallery in Huis ten Bosch palace in The Hague, the precursor of the Rijksmuseum.

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