Museum Collections
Luce Center
Purple Heron (Ardea purpura), Female
Object Number:
1889.10.1.23
Date:
c. 1554-1564
Medium:
Watercolor, gouache, and white lead pigment over black chalk on ivory paper, laid on paper, formerly laid on an album page
Dimensions:
Overall: 11 1/16 x 15 3/16 in. (28.1 x 38.6 cm), irregular
Marks:
Inside cover of Album 1 contains a printed catalogue description reading: "Drawings of European Birds, a Collection of upwards of 200 Drawings, most beautifully executed colours, of European Birds, taken from Nature, and most faithfully copied with a view
Inscriptions:
Inscribed at upper right: 8[underlined], 2I
Below at right: Ardea stellaris, vel Pigra fœmina / Heron estellé, ou Paresseux femelle. / A mare pauxillum abscedo fœmella colore / Ardea stellaris, minus illo rufa notata.
At lower right: L'autheur / B. Textor.
At lower left: Le peintre. / Michel petit / L'escrivain / Thomas Huilier
Description:
Avian study
Credit Line:
Gift of Nathaniel H. Bishop
Provenance:
The Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth, England; John Cassin, Philadelphia, 1869; M.Thomas & Sons, Philadelphia, 1872; Nathaniel H. Bishop, Toms River, New Jersey
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.