Artwork
Title Page for "Livre d'oiseaux"
Title Page for "Livre d'oiseaux" is an ink print by the Baroque artist Albert Flamen. It dates from 1644 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work is a 1644 etching executed on laid paper, serving as the title page for a publication called Livre d'oiseaux.
About this work
Overview
The work is a 1644 etching executed on laid paper, serving as the title page for a publication called Livre d'oiseaux. It bears the signature of Albert Flamen, a Flemish artist who was active in Paris during the mid‑seventeenth century, primarily as an illustrator for printed works.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on an elaborate heraldic device: a shield flanked by two lions, surmounted by a pair of cherubic figures supporting a wreath. The surrounding ornamental clouds frame the emblem, while an inscription identifies the volume as a treatise on birds and dedicates it to Gilles Fouvquet.
Technique & Style
Flamen employed fine, closely spaced lines to render the texture of the lions' pelage and the delicate contours of the cloudwork, demonstrating the high level of precision valued in contemporary printmaking. The use of laid paper, with its characteristic ribbed texture, contributes to the work’s tactile quality and aligns with the material conventions of early modern book illustration.
History & Provenance
Created for a specialized ornithological text, the title page reflects the collaborative nature of book production in 17th‑century Paris, where engravers like Flamen supplied decorative frontispieces. The dedication to Gilles Fouvquet suggests a patronage link, though further ownership records for the individual impression are not documented.
Artist & collection
Artist
Albert Flamen (c. 1620 – after 1669) was a Flemish engraver, painter, and tapestry designer. He was active in Paris, where he worked mainly as an illustrator on numerous publications.
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