Title
Cassique, de la Lousiane
Alternative Title
Cassique, de la Lousiane. [Plate] 646
Contributor
Martinet, François Nicolas, 1731- (Artist, Engraver)
Publisher
Paris : L'Imprimerie Royal
Date created
[ca. 1770-1786]
Type of resource
Still image
Genre
Engravings (prints)
Format
Image
Digital origin
reformatted digital
Abstract/Description
François Nicolas Martinet (1725-1804), a French artist living during the late Enlightenment Era, blends science with art in his numerous works. His passion for ornithology led him to collaborate with several notable natural historians, including Georges-Louis Leclerc, Count of Buffon. Martinet created a total of one thousand eight prints for Buffon's extensive Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux, from which the plates in this collection derive. Depicting birds in their natural habitats, the plates began as copperplate engravings and later received color from an unknown colorist, possibly Martinet himself. These avian prints emphasize scientific accuracy and natural beauty.
In Cassique, de la Louisiane, Martinet gleans the mannerisms of a lifelike Louisiana cacique, or Common Grackle, possibly of an albino variety. The print was produced between 1770 and 1786 as plate six hundred forty-six of Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. Martinet carefully arranges the bird in a pleasing composition, activating the entire space while still mimicking the strange neck position of a tense, alert creature. The branch towards the bottom gives a glimpse into the cacique's habitat. Hints of magenta and viridian among the bird's feathers, coupled with expertly modeled talons, add to the meticulous realism of Cassique, de la Louisiane.
In Cassique, de la Louisiane, Martinet gleans the mannerisms of a lifelike Louisiana cacique, or Common Grackle, possibly of an albino variety. The print was produced between 1770 and 1786 as plate six hundred forty-six of Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. Martinet carefully arranges the bird in a pleasing composition, activating the entire space while still mimicking the strange neck position of a tense, alert creature. The branch towards the bottom gives a glimpse into the cacique's habitat. Hints of magenta and viridian among the bird's feathers, coupled with expertly modeled talons, add to the meticulous realism of Cassique, de la Louisiane.
Related item
Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux
Avian Life Prints
Avian Life Prints
Subjects and keywords
Cassique, de la Lousiane
Quiscalus quiscula
Louisiana cacique
Common grackle
Quiscalus
Birds
Animals
Quiscalus quiscula
Louisiana cacique
Common grackle
Quiscalus
Birds
Animals
Identifier
bird_martinet_009
Permanent URL
Location
Northeastern University Library
Use and reproduction
No Copyright. The organization that has made
the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United
States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws
of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other
countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more
information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/