Indigo bird
1827-1838
John James Audubon wasn't just an artist; he was a bit of a mad scientist who shot birds and posed them with wires to make them look alive—hence the stiff but detailed poses here. This plate from his legendary 'Birds of America' series captures the Indigo Bunting (labeled 'Indigo Bird') in a family portrait, showing off the dull brown female at the bottom and the vibrant blue males above perched on a sarsaparilla vine. As a masterpiece of 19th-century realism, these hand-colored engravings were the 'Instagram' of their day, introducing Americans to the exotic beauty of their own backyard wildlife.
- Technique
- Hand-colored engraving
- Material
- Paper
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