Two Birds (Ptilonopus Auranthfrons)
1860
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1860
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Two Birds (Ptilonopus Auranthfrons) is a 1860 ink by Joseph Wolf, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows two birds perched on rocks by water. The bird in front is mostly green with a yellow belly, orange beak, and red legs. Behind it, a smaller bird has gray and green feathers and a bright orange face. The background has simple reeds and a light blue sky. The artist used soft colors and careful details to show the birds’ feathers. This style was common in the Romantic period, which focused on nature’s beauty. Next, look up the technique called lithography to see how this print was made.
Joseph Wolf never met an animal he didn’t want to draw. Even on his honeymoon, he lugged a sketchbook up Swiss peaks to catch the snow ptarmigan molting from winter white to summer brown. That’s how he ended up…
See the richer artist page
