Fischadler oder Seeadler

John James Audubon

1827-1838

Fischadler oder Seeadler by John James Audubon, 1827-1838

John James Audubon hated stiff, boring bird portraits, so he literally wired up dead specimens to pose them in dramatic action! In this scene, a fierce Osprey—labeled 'Fish Hawk' at the bottom—swoops down with a fish clamped in its talons, wings spread wide against the sky. This dynamic style was revolutionary, treating birds as living characters rather than scientific specimens. It comes from his famous 'Birds of America' project, which required massive 'Double Elephant' sized paper to paint the birds life-size.

Technique
Hand-colored engraving
Material
Paper
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