Woodpeckers – 18th Watercolor by Detlef Hartwig Zander after Mark Catesby
Working in the late 18th or early 19th Century, German artist Detlef Hartwig Zander created a series of ornithological illustrations based on major natural history publications of his time.
This work, annotated in German “Der Specht mit dem rottem Leib,” is based on “The Red Bellied Woodpecker” from Mark Catesby Vol. 1 Pl. 19 of The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands published circa 1750.
This watercolor over ink painting was has been adapted an original manner by Zander working several decades after the original was published.
Watermark: C.R.
Dimensions: 13.4 x 21.1 cm
Signed in reverse: D.H. Zander del. / Tab XLIV.
1763 - 1837
Working in the late 18th or early 19th Century, German artist Detlef Hartwig Zander created a series of beautifully detailed watercolor paintings based on engravings from the major natural history works of his time, for example Mark Catesby’s “Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands.” In his watercolors, Zander adapted the works which inspired him in an original way, reducing the size, and executing the birds in a uniquely charming manner. We believe these watercolor paintings were likely studies for a new and smaller scale anthology, since each bears a plate number which does not correspond to the plates in the original works.
When acquired by us, this work had the following note shown below on the back.
