Artwork
Hoopoe and Linnet

Hoopoe and Linnet is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Adriaen Collaert. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:above bird on left in plate: Upupa; above bird on right in plate: Acanthis; lower right in plate; Adrian. Collaert fecit et excud.; by later hand, lower left in graphite: 6; by later hand, on right margin in pen and brown ink: vel siren. Gallice / serin ou canaris / Kanari-vogel
About this work
Overview
Hoopoe and Linnet is an engraving on laid paper created by Adriaen Collaert around 1600.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts two birds, a hoopoe and a linnet, perched on a branch, set against a serene landscape featuring a village, rolling hills, and a winding river. The detailed rendering of the birds and their surroundings suggests a focus on natural history and the beauty of the everyday.
Technique & Style
The engraving showcases Collaert's skill with fine lines, used to create texture and detail in the birds' feathers, the tree bark, and the distant village. The level of detail achieved through engraving, a technique involving the incision of a design onto a metal plate, is evident in the print's intricate rendering.
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