Close-ups
Framed and on the wall
Frame and rooms are illustrations of how the print could look; the description says what is included.
Red-Headed Yellow-Bodied Bird and White-Tailed Hummingbird: Hand-Coloured, 1773
$770 (£585, €690)
Period original, not a reproduction.
Shipped from the Netherlands, flat, insured and tracked, worldwide. Returns accepted within 14 days.
- Date
- 1773
- Size
- 14.6 × 9.8 in (37 × 25 cm)
- Condition
- Very good. Vibrant colors, minimal fading. Paper shows light toning and minor foxing in margins. Edges sharp; no tears, no folds. Slight handling marks, mostly outside platmark, not affecting image quality.
- Period
- 18th century
- Section
- Birds
- Reference
- f_42291302
- Colour
- Hand coloured
What the condition grades mean
- Excellent
- Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
- Very good
- Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
- Good
- Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
- Fair
- Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
This is a hand-colored copper engraving by Johann Michael Seligmann, derived from the work of George Edwards, and is part of the *Sammlung verschiedener ausländischer und seltener Vögel* (Collection of Various Foreign and Rare Birds), published in Nuremberg between 1770 and 1773.
The title, "Der Rothkopf mit gelbem Leib und das Colibrichen mit weissem Schwanz" (The Red-Headed Bird with Yellow Body and the Hummingbird with White Tail), refers to the two exotic bird species depicted.
The engraving illustrates:
1. The Red-Headed Yellow-Bodied Bird (*Avicula lutea vertice rubro*), a striking bird with a red crown and yellow body with some red markings on its chest.
2. The Hummingbird with White Tail (*Melivora cauda alba*), with a curved beak, a mix of brown and red plumage, and a distinctive white tail.
The Latin and French descriptions indicate the species’ colors and distinguishing features. Seligmann’s technique combines copperplate engraving with meticulous hand-coloring, enhancing the vibrant details of each bird. This print exemplifies the era's fascination with documenting exotic avian species.
