About this sheet
Shorebirds, Jacana & Water Rail Pair, Brodtmann Hand-Colored Lithographs, 1816
This attractive pair of original hand-colored lithographs depicts eight species of wading birds and marsh birds, illustrated with the precision and elegance characteristic of early nineteenth-century natural history publications. Published in 1816, the two plates form a harmonious companion set, showcasing a fascinating variety of shorebirds, rails, jacanas, and other wetland species from around the world.
Created by Swiss artist and natural history illustrator Karl Joseph Brodtmann (1787–1862), the prints originate from the celebrated Naturhistorische Bilder-Gallerie aus dem Thierreiche, published in Lindau during the pioneering years of lithographic printing. Brodtmann became renowned for combining scientific accuracy with refined artistic presentation, making his works highly desirable among collectors of ornithology and natural history.
The first plate includes the Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus hyperboreus), Common Jacana (Parra jacana), Austrian Pratincole (Glareola austriaca), and Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus). The vivid jacana, with its remarkable elongated toes adapted for walking across floating vegetation, forms the visual centerpiece of the composition.
The companion plate illustrates the Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola), Ruff (Tringa pugnax), and Black-winged Stilt (Charadrius himantopus). The elegant silhouettes and varied bill shapes beautifully demonstrate the diversity of birds adapted to wetland and coastal environments.
The restrained compositions allow the viewer to focus on each species while appreciating the subtle hand coloring and delicate rendering of plumage. Together, the two plates create an appealing decorative set united by subject matter, scale, and artistic style. The soft natural palette of browns, grays, greens, and warm earth tones complements both traditional and contemporary interiors.
Today, Brodtmann's ornithological plates are prized not only as scientific documents but also as decorative works of art that reflect the age of exploration and the development of modern zoological classification. Offered together, these matching sheets make an excellent display for collectors of birds, natural history, and antique scientific illustration.
Condition report:
Both prints are in good condition considering age. Light age toning, occasional foxing, and minor handling wear consistent with works more than 200 years old. Original hand coloring remains attractive and well preserved. Please examine photographs carefully.
Framing tips:
These companion prints display beautifully as a pair in matching dark walnut, ebonized, or black-gilt frames with ivory museum mats and a fine gold fillet. Their vertical format and harmonious color palette make them particularly suitable for country houses, libraries, conservatories, coastal interiors, and collections devoted to birds and natural history.
