Penguin:
One of the most elegant cards Saturn Press introduced this year is the striking Penguin card inspired by a print by French ornithologist Francois Levaillant.
Francois Levaillant (1753-1824) was an ornithologist, a world explorer, a collector, and a travel writer. He made detailed sketches of the many species of birds that he discovered on his travels in Africa and brought the notebooks back to France. Once there, he collaborated with artist Jacques Barrraband to create some of the most lifelike renderings of birds ever made.
How lucky are we to have two examples of Levaillant bird prints in the drawings and prints department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC? What is so arresting about these prints is their incredible detail and beautiful shading, done by hand in watercolor.
I think we have become so used to seeing images of birds in photographs that when we see one hand-drawn and painted, it really catches our eye. Imagine the patience and dedication it took for Francois Levaillant to sit quietly in a remote forest in Africa observing a bird with such attention that we can still enjoy its beauty today.
We hope you enjoy this elegant little penguin as much as we do.
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See Penguin card.
