Artwork
The Yellow Throated Creeper
The Yellow Throated Creeper is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Mark Catesby. It is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right in plate: MC; lower right in plate: Acer &c; lower left in plate: Parus &c.; upper right in plate: T. 62; by later hand, lower left in graphite: Yellow Throated Creeper; by later hand, lower right in graphite: Marc Catesby-London. 1754 60-
About this work
Overview
The Yellow Throated Creeper is a print created by Mark Catesby using etching, engraving, and hand coloring on laid paper.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a bird, likely a yellow-throated warbler, perched on a branch surrounded by red flowers and green leaves in various stages of bloom. The image combines scientific observation with artistic representation, highlighting the species' distinctive markings.
Technique & Style
Catesby employed etching and engraving techniques to produce the print, adding detail with hand coloring. The use of color and detail creates a sense of depth and texture, emphasizing the natural characteristics of the bird and its surroundings.
History & Provenance
The print was produced in 1754 as part of Catesby's two-volume Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, a comprehensive survey of North American wildlife documented between 1729 and 1747.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Mark Catesby (24 March 1683 – 23 December 1749) was an English naturalist who studied the flora and fauna of the New World.
