The "spoon-billed goose" is an excellent example of Kaendler's technique.
Here you can see that it is in the process of swallowing a fish. It tilts its head far back. The neck is bent in an extremely dynamic movement, the eyes are wide open.
Every single detail, be it the plumage, the scales of the fish or the structure of the skin of the throat pouch, has been carefully studied.
The method of depicting birds in action is a recurring feature in Kaendler's works.
He succeeds in combining a realistic depiction of the animal with a demonstration of his artistic skills as a sculptor.
It is interesting to note that the existence of a pelican in Dresden Zoo is documented in a work by Matthäus Merian in the Dresden Kupferstichkabinett. The illustration is entitled "A large spoonbill goose to be seen in the Dresden Royal Fish Gardens", 1728.
It is therefore quite possible that a live specimen of this exotic bird served Kaendler as a source of inspiration for his sculpture!
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