Die Sommerente (Wood Duck) – Hand-Colored Engraving after Mark Catesby, c.1750–1770
This elegant hand-colored engraving shows the Summer Duck or Wood Duck (Anas Americanus cristatus elegans), a North American species admired in Europe for its vivid plumage. The bird is presented in profile, standing on a rock with grasses around it, its feathers carefully detailed and brightly hand-colored.
The print is inscribed in three languages: “Die Sommerente” (German), "Canard d’Eté” (French), and “Anas Americanus cristatus elegans” (Latin), reflecting its intended scholarly and international audience. The notation “No. 94 IV Theil” places it within Part IV of a German edition. At the lower left is the credit M. Catesby ad viv. delin., acknowledging that the original drawing was made from life by the English naturalist Mark Catesby (1683–1749).
Catesby’s 'Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands' (1729–1747) was the first major illustrated account of North American flora and fauna. After his death, his plates were re-engraved and republished by Johann Michael Seligmann in Nuremberg (1749–1776), with added German, Latin, and French captions. This engraving belongs to that influential Seligmann edition, which helped spread knowledge of American species throughout Europe.
Condition: Very good impression with rich hand-coloring. Light toning and faint marginal spots consistent with age. Plate mark visible.
Framing tips: A dark or gilt frame with a cream or pale green mount will enhance the bird’s coloring. A double mat with a thin red or burgundy inner line can further accentuate the crest and bill.
Technique: Copper engraving with hand coloring Maker: After Mark Catesby (artist), published by Johann Michael Seligmann, Nuremberg, c.1750–1776
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