1737
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
The Round Crested Duck (Mergus cucullatus) is a 1737 ink by Mark Catesby, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This bird looks like a duck with a big white neck patch and a black head. Its beak is sharp and pointed, with a yellow spot near the eye. The wings are folded neatly, and the tail feathers fan out slightly. The bird sits on a flat surface, with water and a small rock below it. The artist used a mix of black ink and light hand coloring to show the feathers in detail. The background is plain, keeping all the focus on the bird itself. If you like this kind of careful animal drawing, check out etching to see how artists create these precise lines.
Mark Catesby (24 March 1683 – 23 December 1749) was an English naturalist who studied the flora and fauna of the New World.
See the richer artist page
