The Blue Heron (Ardea coerulea)
1737
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1737
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
The Blue Heron (Ardea coerulea) is a 1737 ink by Mark Catesby, a Baroque work, depicting crane, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a blue heron in a swamp, its long legs dipped in dark water. The bird stands tall among reeds, its blue-gray feathers standing out against the green and brown background. A small fish swims near its feet. Catesby’s prints were the first color images of North American birds. He drew them from life in the 1720s, long before photography. Then he hired engravers to carve the plates and hand-colored each print. See how the light hits the heron’s feathers? That’s drypoint. Look up Catesby, Mark.
