Artwork
Great Tit and Starling
Great Tit and Starling 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, Great Tit and Starling, dates to around 1600 and features two birds on a branch set against a detailed landscape.
Subject & Meaning
The engraving depicts a Great Tit (Parus Silvaticus) and a Starling (Sturmvs) in a naturalistic scene, with the birds as central subjects amidst a miniature village and mountainous backdrop.
Technique & Style
Collaert employed fine-line engraving to achieve textured, near-three-dimensional effects, particularly evident in the rendering of feathers and foliage.
Context
The work reflects the early modern European interest in natural history illustration, where precise depictions of fauna and flora were valued.
History & Provenance
While the exact provenance is not detailed here, the engraving's date (c. 1600) situates it within Collaert's active period as a printmaker.
Artist & collection
