Old Crate

Edwin Alexander is known to have kept various birds, including peacocks and owls, in his back garden in Edinburgh.  He often painted birds and his works of this subject matter are considered his best.   He was a skilled draughtsman and one can see here the great detail with which he paints the bird's feathers. Other areas of the painting, such as the crate and the background, he leaves less well finished.   Alexander often used unusual media for his watercolours such as linen and rough cardboard. These gave his work an interesting texture. It was a habit he shared with his friend the artist Joseph Crawhall whose influence can be seen in his choice of subject matter and his technique. The two visited Tangiers together in 1887 along with Alexander's father, the Ayrshire born painter Robert Alexander.