Evening grosbeak. Spotted grosbeak
1827-1838
John James Audubon captures the vibrant drama of North American birds in this plate from his legendary 'The Birds of America'. The top bird shows off the bold yellow and black of the Evening Grosbeak, while the orange-breasted Spotted Grosbeak (now known as the Black-headed Grosbeak) takes center stage below, seemingly singing its heart out to a butterfly. Audubon was a showman as much as a scientist, posing his birds in dynamic, almost theatrical ways to show off their best features for this massive 'Double Elephant Folio' edition—a book so huge it was named after the largest paper size available at the time!
- Technique
- Hand-colored engraving
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