1851
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Cygne, heron is a 1851 ink by Karl Bodmer, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows two birds in a wet, grassy area. The top image is a swan floating near reeds, its neck curved back. The bottom image is a tall heron standing on one leg in shallow water, surrounded by plants and small rocks. The artist used fine lines to show the birds’ textures, like feathers and wet fur. The water and plants look slightly fuzzy, as if sketched quickly. Try looking up etching to see how this technique works.
Johann Carl Bodmer (11 February 1809 – 30 October 1893) was a Swiss-French printmaker, etcher, lithographer, zinc engraver, draughtsman, painter, illustrator, and hunter.
See the richer artist page
