Gabelschwanz-Petrel
1827-1838
John James Audubon didn't just paint birds; he threw them right into the action! Here, a pair of Fork-tailed Petrels (now known as Leach's Storm Petrels) are captured mid-flight, skimming just inches above crashing ocean waves with their distinctive webbed feet dangling. Audubon famously insisted on drawing his subjects 'from Nature,' often killing and wiring them into lifelike poses to capture these dramatic, wind-swept moments that static field sketches just couldn't convey. This plate, engraved and hand-colored by Robert Havell in London around 1835, showcases the artist's mastery of movement and his obsession with placing animals in their natural, often chaotic, habitats.
- Technique
- Hand-colored engraving
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