Green-blue or white bellied swallow
1827-1838
John James Audubon was famous for shooting birds, stuffing them with wire, and posing them in dramatic, lifelike scenes before painting them—and this dynamic mid-air encounter is a perfect example! Published in his massive 'Birds of America' project, this plate captures the Tree Swallow (labeled here as the Green-blue or White Bellied Swallow) in a moment of intense interaction against a cloudy sky. The original prints were so huge they were nicknamed 'Double Elephant Folios' because they required the largest paper size available at the time.
- Technique
- Hand-colored engraving
- Material
- Paper
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