Arkansaw flycatcher. Swallow-tailed flycatcher
1827-1838
John James Audubon was obsessed with capturing birds in action, refusing to paint them as stiff specimens like his predecessors. In this plate from his monumental 'The Birds of America', he groups three flycatchers—the Arkansaw, Swallow-Tailed, and Says—depicted in dynamic poses as they hunt moths and flies. To achieve these lifelike angles, Audubon famously shot his subjects with fine shot and posed them with wires before painting. The vibrant colors and incredible detail in the feathers show why this 19th-century masterpiece remains a gold standard for natural history illustration.
- Technique
- Hand-colored engraving
- Material
- Paper
- Dimensions
- 39 x 26 inches
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