About this sheet
Ornate hawk-eagle and black-and-white hawk-eagle print after Descourtilz, 1944: this is Estampa 3 from the Ornitologia Brasileira, the Kosmos edition of the French painter's paintings of Brazilian birds.
Two birds of prey share a single forked branch. The upper bird is dark overall, its blackish-brown plumage broken across the breast and flanks by rows of small cream spots, with a shaggy crest of dark feathers raised at the back of the crown and a strongly barred tail in black and greyish-brown; it grips the fork of the branch with bright yellow feet and black talons. Below it, angled so its head faces the opposite way, a second and paler bird shows a gray head and upperparts against a clean white breast, its tail patterned beneath in bands of reddish-brown and white where the folded wing parts to reveal it; its legs, too, are yellow. Both are perched on the same weathered, leafless branch, sketched over a pale wash of low hills and open sky that stands in for a landscape setting.
Livraria Kosmos Editora published the Ornitologia Brasileira ou História Natural das Aves do Brasil, notáveis por sua plumagem, canto e hábitos in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in 1944. This first Portuguese edition, translated by Eurico Santos from the French original of the 1850s, was limited to 1,315 copies (1,000 plus 315 numbered). All 48 plates are color offset prints of Descourtilz's paintings of Brazilian birds, each captioned "Estampa" with its number on a toned card within a printed green ornamental border.
Jean-Théodore Descourtilz (circa 1796 to 1855) was a French painter and naturalist who traveled to Brazil in the late 1820s and devoted himself to painting its birds; his first work on the birds of Brazil appeared in 1834.
Strong in color and suitable for framing, this ornate hawk-eagle and black-and-white hawk-eagle print after Descourtilz would make a handsome addition to a collection of ornithology prints or a colorful focal point for a library or garden room.
This plate is in good condition for its age. The mount shows ordinary age toning, with a few small spots and light wear to the edges; the image itself is clean. Please review the images for further condition details.
This is an original print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.
