Cassique, de la Lousiane

Martinet, François Nicolas, 1731- · [ca. 1770]

François Nicolas Martinet (1725-1804), a French artist living during the late Enlightenment Era, blends science with art in his numerous works. His passion for ornithology led him to collaborate with several notable natural historians, including Georges-Louis Leclerc, Count of Buffon. Martinet created a total of one thousand eight prints for Buffon's extensive Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux, from which the plates in this collection derive. Depicting birds in their natural habitats, the plates began as copperplate engravings and later received color from an unknown colorist, possibly Martinet himself. These avian prints emphasize scientific accuracy and natural beauty. In Cassique, de la Louisiane, Martinet gleans the mannerisms of a lifelike Louisiana cacique, or Common Grackle, possibly of an albino variety. The print was produced between 1770 and 1786 as plate six hundred forty-six of Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. Martinet carefully arranges the bird in a pleasing composition, activating the entire space while still mimicking the strange neck position of a tense, alert creature. The branch towards the bottom gives a glimpse into the cacique's habitat. Hints of magenta and viridian among the bird's feathers, coupled with expertly modeled talons, add to the meticulous realism of Cassique, de la Louisiane.