Jacques Prévert: To Make a Portrait of a Bird

First paint a cage

with an open door

then paint

something pretty

something simple

something beautiful

something useful

for the bird

then place the canvas within a tree

in a garden

in a wood

or in a forest

hide behind the tree

without saying anything

without moving an inch…

Sometimes the bird arrives quickly

but he can also take many years

before deciding

do not become discouraged

wait

wait for years if you have to

the speed or the sluggishness of the bird’s arrival

has no effect

on the outcome of your painting

When the bird arrives

if it arrives

keep the most profound silence

wait for the bird to enter the cage

and when he is inside

gently close the door with the paintbrush

then

erase all of the bars one by one

while taking care not to touch any of the bird’s feathers

then do the tree’s portrait

choosing the most beautiful branch

for the bird

paint the greenery and the freshness of the wind as well

the spray of the sun

and the noise of the animals in the grass in the heat of summer

and then wait for the bird to decide to sing

If the bird doesn’t sing

it’s a bad sign

it’s a sign that your painting is bad

but if it sings it’s a good sign

it’s a sign that you can sign

Then you very gently pluck

one of the bird’s feathers

and you write your name in a corner of the canvas.

Tr. Emil Adam. Jacques Prévert feels like part of that gorgeous period of Frenchness in the 50s and early 60s that included Bardot, strange Citroëns, YSL… in other words, a selective fantasy.