Francis talks to birds

A young boy in a green outfit stands in a meadow holding a yellow toy biplane, a small red parrot perched on his arm. Around him a leafless tree and its branches are crowded with dozens of birds—macaws, a toucan, sparrows, a peacock with full tail, a white swan and a pink pelican—while more birds gather at his feet.

Each bird is painted with sharp, detailed realism, its plumage picked out in distinct colors against a flat golden-ochre backdrop and pale green grass. The boy's plain, solemn expression contrasts with the crowded, almost encyclopedic gathering of species around him, giving the scene a quiet, dreamlike strangeness.