Purple gallinule
1827-1838
Audubon captured the Purple Gallinule mid-stride, showing off those ridiculously long yellow toes designed for walking on floating vegetation without sinking. The bird's plumage is a stunning mix of iridescent purple and green, contrasting sharply with that bright red and blue face shield. This plate comes from his massive masterpiece 'The Birds of America', where he posed birds in dynamic actions—often wiring up freshly shot specimens—to create life-sized prints. The resulting 'Double Elephant' folios were so large (nearly 3 feet tall) that subscribers needed special furniture just to display them!
- Technique
- Hand-colored engraving
- Material
- Paper
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