Wings of Liberty — Soaring Eagle

Liberty and the eagle were paired by the same law that created the United States Mint. The Coinage Act of April 2, 1792, ordered that one side of each coin carry an impression emblematic of liberty with the word Liberty, and that the reverse of every gold and silver coin carry an eagle. For generations, quarters, half dollars and gold pieces put Liberty on one face and an eagle on the other.

On a coin the eagle had to be small and exact. In paint it can be loose and enormous, and this one fills a tall canvas.

The wings are raised high on both sides, made of navy and royal blue feathers flecked with red, so the bird is painted in the flag's colors rather than its own. Only the head keeps nature's palette: white feathers, a hard gold eye, a hooked yellow beak turned to the right.

The background is a storm of loose strokes, pale gold and sky blue at the top, burning down to red and orange at the bottom, with spatters thrown across all of it like sparks. The talons reach down into that red as if the eagle had just pushed off from a fire. It suits a narrow wall, an office or a stairway landing.