Kestrel and Great Spotted Woodpecker
1600
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
Adriaen Collaert
Adriaen Collaert (1560–1618) was a Flemish artist, born in Antwerp.
See the richer artist page1600
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Kestrel and Great Spotted Woodpecker is a 1600 ink by Adriaen Collaert, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows two birds perched on a branch. The larger one, a kestrel, faces left with sharp eyes and speckled feathers. Behind them, a village nestles in a valley with a river winding through, and distant mountains rise in the background. The artist used fine lines to show texture—notice how the feathers and tree bark look almost three-dimensional. This kind of detail was tricky to do in the 1600s. Next, check out how engraving works to create such precise images.
Adriaen Collaert (1560–1618) was a Flemish artist, born in Antwerp.
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