King duck
1827-1838
John James Audubon brings the King Duck (now known as the King Eider) to life with his signature dramatic flair in this plate from *The Birds of America*. The male, perched boldly on a rock with his beak wide open as if mid-call, shows off his striking black, white, and peach plumage against a rugged coastal backdrop. Below him, the mottled brown female sits quietly near a couple of shells, highlighting the stark contrast between the sexes. Audubon was famous for shooting his subjects and wiring them into dynamic poses to capture them in action, a far cry from the stiff, profile-view illustrations common in his era.
- Technique
- hand-colored engraving
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