Artwork
Falcon and Robin Redbreast or Redstart
Falcon and Robin Redbreast or Redstart is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Adriaen Collaert. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Adriaen Collaert’s engraving titled Falcon and Robin Redbreast or Redstart dates from around 1600. Executed on laid paper, the print measures the typical size of early‑17th‑century Dutch engravings and presents a compact, narrative scene in black ink.
Subject & Meaning
The composition places a sizable falcon on a branch, its gaze directed to the right, while two smaller birds—identified as a robin‑redbreast or a redstart—stand on the ground beneath, looking upward. The juxtaposition of predator and prey has traditionally been read as an allegorical comment on hierarchy, vigilance, or moral instruction.
Technique & Style
Collaert employs fine cross‑hatching to model the feathers, foliage, and distant landscape, creating a subtle gradation of tone. The engraving’s line work is meticulous, giving texture to the falcon’s plumage and the rolling hills, trees, and water that recede into the background.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1600, the print belongs to the flourishing period of Flemish reproductive engraving. While specific ownership records are scarce, works by Collaert were widely circulated among collectors of the Dutch Republic and later entered museum collections through 19th‑century acquisitions of early modern prints.
Artist & collection
