Artwork
Waxwing and Another Bird
Waxwing and Another Bird 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 print, titled Waxwing and Another Bird, dates from around 1600. Executed as an engraving on laid paper, the work presents a quiet natural scene wherein two birds occupy the foreground, set against a gently rolling landscape that includes water, foliage, and a distant settlement with a bridge.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a waxwing alongside a second, unidentified bird, both rendered in fine detail. Their placement amid verdant vegetation and calm water suggests a study of avian life within a harmonious environment, while the modest village in the background provides a sense of human presence without dominating the natural focus.
Technique & Style
Collaert employs the engraving’s characteristic cross‑hatching to model form and convey texture, creating subtle gradations of light and shadow. The laid paper’s faint ribbed pattern adds a tactile quality, while the overall balance of line work reflects the precision and compositional clarity typical of late‑Renaissance printmaking.
History & Provenance
Created at the turn of the seventeenth century, the print belongs to the corpus of Collaert’s work produced for the Antwerp publishing market. Though specific ownership records are scarce, prints of this type were widely circulated among collectors of natural history and decorative prints during the period, contributing to Collaert’s reputation as a skilled engraver.
Artist & collection
