Artwork
The Coach-Whip Snake (Coluber flagellum)
The Coach-Whip Snake (Coluber flagellum) is an ink print by the Baroque artist Mark Catesby. It dates from 1737 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Coach-Whip Snake (Coluber flagellum) is a hand-colored etching and engraving on laid paper, created by English naturalist Mark Catesby in 1737. It depicts a life-size Coach-whip Snake in a naturalistic setting.
Subject & Meaning
The print shows a Coach-whip Snake (Coluber flagellum) coiled on dry leaves, poised yet motionless, with its distinctive pale tan body and dark tail contrasting against a brown earthy background. Accompanying foliage hints at the snake's habitat.
Technique & Style
Catesby employed etching and engraving techniques, complemented by meticulous hand coloring, to achieve a detailed, realistic representation. The life-size depiction reflects his emphasis on accuracy in natural history illustration.
History & Provenance
This plate was part of Mark Catesby's seminal *Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands* (1729-1747), a groundbreaking, 220-plate series and the first published natural history account of North America.
Context
Catesby's work was informed by his travels to the American colonies, where he studied and documented local wildlife, pioneering detailed, in-situ illustrations of North American species.
Artist & collection
Artist
Mark Catesby (24 March 1683 – 23 December 1749) was an English naturalist who studied the flora and fauna of the New World.
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