Violet-green cormorant
1827-1838
John James Audubon had a rather macabre way of achieving realism: he shot birds and used wires to pose their stiff bodies into lifelike action before painting them. This stunning plate from his legendary 'The Birds of America' folio showcases the Violet-green Cormorant and Townsend’s Cormorant perched dramatically on a rocky coast. Notice the shimmering emerald and sapphire feathers on the smaller bird, contrasting with the warm, earthy tones of its larger companion. Printed by Robert Havell in 1834, these massive illustrations were so huge they had to be shipped from London to America in parts, forever changing how we document the natural world.
- Technique
- hand-colored engraving
- Material
- paper
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