About this sheet
Original antique hand-colored copper engraving depicting five swallow- and nightjar-type birds, published in Friedrich Justin Bertuch’s celebrated “Bilderbuch für Kinder” around the turn of the 19th century.
The plate is titled “Vögel CXVII / Oiseaux CXVII” and illustrates the following birds:
Fig. 1 – Painted Swallow (Hirundo fucata), historically called the “Painted Swallow” or “Geschminkte Schwalbe.”
Fig. 2 – Nacunda Nightjar (Caprimulgus diurnus), also known as the Nacunda Nighthawk, a South American nightjar.
Fig. 3 – Male Scissor-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus psalurus), remarkable for the male’s extraordinarily elongated, scissor-like tail feathers.
Fig. 4 – Female Scissor-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus psalurus), shown with the considerably shorter tail characteristic of the female.
Fig. 5 – Horned Podargus (Podargus cornutus), an old historical name for a frogmouth-type nocturnal bird from Java and Sumatra.
The identifications above follow the names given in Bertuch’s original accompanying text; some of the scientific names and classifications used around 1800 have subsequently changed. Bertuch describes the plate as “Schwalbenartige Vögel” – swallow-like birds – and groups the nightjars and podargus together because of similarities in their appearance and way of life.
Friedrich Justin Bertuch (1747–1822) was a German publisher, writer and patron of the arts. His monumental “Bilderbuch für Kinder” (Picture Book for Children), first published in Weimar in 1790, became one of the great illustrated educational encyclopedias of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Its hundreds of engraved and hand-colored plates introduced readers to animals, plants, geography, science, technology, antiquity and cultures from around the world.
This attractive natural-history plate is particularly striking for the dramatically long-tailed male nightjar at the center, surrounded by four other finely engraved birds. The delicate original hand coloring in earthy browns, reds, greys and greens is characteristic of Bertuch’s natural-history illustrations.
Technique: Original hand-colored copper engraving
Publisher: Friedrich Justin Bertuch
Publication: Bilderbuch für Kinder
Place: Weimar, Germany
Date: circa 1800–1820
Subject: Birds / Swallow / Nightjars / Frogmouth / Ornithology
Plate: Vögel CXVII / Oiseaux CXVII
Condition:
Good antique condition with visible age-related toning, scattered spotting and foxing, particularly throughout the background. Minor handling and age-related imperfections may be present. Please study the photographs carefully as they form part of the condition description.
The engraving is loosely inserted in an acid-free matting board.
Please note: This is an original antique hand-colored copper engraving, not a modern reproduction. The print is sold unframed. Framed images or interior views, if shown, are for presentation and inspiration only.
Other companion bird and natural-history plates from Bertuch’s “Bilderbuch für Kinder” are also available separately.
Keywords: Friedrich Justin Bertuch, Bilderbuch für Kinder, antique bird print, antique ornithology print, nightjar engraving, Nacunda Nightjar, Scissor-tailed Nightjar, frogmouth, Horned Podargus, Painted Swallow, swallow print, bird engraving, hand-colored copper engraving, natural history illustration, German engraving, Weimar, 18th century natural history, 19th century ornithology, antique zoological print, original antique print
