Zwarte snavelkoekoek
1827-1838
John James Audubon was basically the David Attenborough of the 19th century, but with a gun and a paintbrush. Here, he captures the Black-billed Cuckoo in a dramatic mid-air tussle among the massive blooms of the Great Magnolia. Audubon was famous for wiring freshly shot birds into lifelike poses to get these dynamic angles, rejecting the stiff, profile views of his predecessors. This plate, number 32 from his massive 'Birds of America' project, showcases his obsession with showing birds in their natural habitat, complete with a little moth for scale and drama.
- Technique
- Hand-colored aquatint engraving
- Material
- Paper
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