Kittiwake gull
1827-1838
John James Audubon brought these seabirds to life with his signature dramatic flair, showing an adult Kittiwake with its bright yellow beak standing alongside a younger, black-billed companion against a moody sky. To achieve such lifelike poses, Audubon famously shot birds and propped them up with wires before sketching them in the field. This plate is part of his monumental 'Birds of America' project, a massive undertaking that required him to travel across the continent to document every species he could find, eventually publishing it as a giant book larger than most coffee tables!
- Technique
- Hand-colored engraving
- Material
- Paper
Views: 4