Artwork
The Little Brown Duck (Anas rustica)
The Little Brown Duck (Anas rustica) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Mark Catesby. It is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1754, this print presents a small brown duck, rendered through a combination of etching and engraving techniques and finished with hand-applied color on laid paper. The image captures the bird in a naturalistic pose, emphasizing the texture of its plumage and its surrounding environment.
Subject & Meaning
The work illustrates a North American duck species, Anas rustica, reflecting the artist’s intent to document the region’s wildlife with scientific accuracy. By situating the bird within a realistic habitat, the image serves both as a visual record and as an educational tool for understanding the species’ appearance and behavior.
Technique & Style
Employing copperplate etching and engraving, the artist achieved fine line work that defines the duck’s feathers and foliage. After printing on laid paper, selective hand‑coloring adds subtle tones, a common practice in 18th‑century natural history illustration to enhance anatomical detail while retaining the precision of the printmaking process.
History & Provenance
The print is part of the broader output of English naturalist Mark Catesby, whose multi‑volume publication *The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands* (1729–1747) was the first illustrated survey of North American flora and fauna. This particular image was produced as a component of that pioneering series, contributing to early scientific knowledge of New World 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.
