Ruby-throated humming bird
1827-1838
Audubon's lively plate captures a bustling scene of ruby-throated hummingbirds darting around vibrant trumpet flowers. Notice how he posed the birds in various dynamic actions—hovering, feeding, and perching—to show off their iridescent green feathers and striking red throats. This illustration comes from his monumental book 'The Birds of America,' where he famously insisted on drawing birds at life size, though these tiny creatures had to be grouped together on a single branch to fill the massive page!
- Technique
- Hand-colored engraving
- Material
- Paper
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