The Coach-whip Snake (Coluber flagellum)
1737
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1737
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
You see a coiled coach-whip snake, its pale gray body wrapped tight. A few leaves lie beside it on a flat stone. The snake’s head lifts slightly, ready to strike. This isn’t just a snake picture. It’s from Mark Catesby’s set on North American plants and animals. He worked in the 1700s, long before most wildlife books. Artists still copy his careful style today. Compare this work to Catesby, Mark.
