The White Owl

William James Webbe (or Webb) was an early English Pre-Raphaelite painter and illustrator, known for his rustic, religious, and book paintings. At the beginning of his career he was under a huge influence of the Nazarenes, but he became an early convert to Pre-Raphaelitism. The owl we present today was a subject of a comment made by John Ruskin, the hugely influencing writer, philosopher, art critic, and polymath of the Victorian era. The White Owl was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1856, and Ruskin wrote in his Academy Notes: "A careful study — the brown wing excellent. The softness of an owl's feathers is perhaps inimitable; but I think the breast might have come nearer the mark."

P.S. This owl is cute, but do you know what animal was the ultimate favorite of the Pre-Raphaelites? 

P.P.S. If you love animals in art, please check our Animals 50 Postcard Set. Among them you will find owls and other beautiful birds.  :)

Dear DailyArt users! We want to make DailyArt more accessible for you and we're planning to introduce some new language options in our application. If you would like to help us decide, which languages we should choose, please fill in this form :)