Pin tailed duck
1827-1838
John James Audubon wanted to show birds as living creatures, so he posed these two Northern Pintails in a dramatic stretch, reaching for a tiny flying insect. This plate comes from his legendary 'Birds of America' project, an ambitious attempt to document every bird species in North America at life size. The incredible detail in the feathers—from the male's speckled grey back to the female's warm brown plumage—is stunning. Fun fact: complete copies of this book are incredibly rare and valuable, with one selling for over $11 million at auction!
- Technique
- Hand-colored engraving
- Material
- Paper
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