Shakespeare Referenced Dozens of Bird Species in His Work. This Artist Has Made It Her Mission to Paint Them All
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Shakespeare Referenced Dozens of Bird Species in His Work. During the conversation, while trying to quantify the playwright’s talent, Dunaway noted that he’d coined or popularized many common phrases, and then she cited his broad knowledge of nature. “I said, ‘Just look at how many birds he mentions,’” Dunaway recalls.
- ▪Shakespeare Referenced Dozens of Bird Species in His Work.
- ▪During the conversation, while trying to quantify the playwright’s talent, Dunaway noted that he’d coined or popularized many common phrases, and then she cited his broad knowledge of nature.
- ▪“I said, ‘Just look at how many birds he mentions,’” Dunaway recalls.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Shakespeare Referenced Dozens of Bird Species in His Work. This Artist Has Made It Her Mission to Paint Them All Missy Dunaway’s colorful illustrations combine natural history, folklore and literature to depict the Bard’s birds Michelle Mehrtens | Arts and Culture Correspondent May 29, 2026 ShareCopy linkEmailSMSFacebookXRedditLinkedInBlueskyPrintAdd as preferred source Partial view of Eurasian blackbird, Missy Dunaway, acrylic ink on paper Courtesy of the artist Missy Dunaway’s idea to paint all of Shakespeare’s birds first took flight in college after a chat with a friend. During the conversation, while trying to quantify the playwright’s talent, Dunaway noted that he’d coined or popularized many common phrases, and then she cited his broad knowledge of nature.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Smithsonian Magazine.
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