Jakab Bogdány (1660–1724), born in Eperjes, along with his Lutheran family, were certainly driven from his homeland by the Protestant persecutions at the end of the century. He began his studies in Vienna, and it was here that he became interested in Dutch and Dutch-style still life painting, so he then went to the native country of the genre. He gained a reputation in Amsterdam as a painter of still lifes of flowers and fruit, and thanks to this he moved to London in 1688. In 1700 he acquired English citizenship and used his income to buy an estate near London.
At this time, he was already working mainly as an animal painter, and his colorful paintings of exotic birds were in high demand among the English court and aristocracy. Admiral George Churchill had the opportunity to carefully observe his models in his aviary in Windsor Little Park, where, according to sources, he made studies. In accordance with the previously established traditions of the genre, the birds are lined up in the images in a stage setting, arranged in "scenes" similar to live pictures. The piles of ripe, brightly colored fruits on the late canvases enhance its visual variety, and often the castle parks of noblemen provide the background. Due to the many orders, the figures and settings are often repeated on the works, and Bogdány certainly involved assistants in their creation.
(Published: Vonzások és változások / Affinities and Transformations. Exhibition catalogue. Ed.: Fertőszögi, Péter–Szinyei Merse, Anna. Budapest, Kovács Gábor Art Foundation–Hungarian National Museum, 2013. p. 6)