Hummingbird and Fuchsia

About this work

A ruby-throated hummingbird hovers in mid-air, wings held wide, beside a spray of hanging fuchsia flowers. The blooms dangle like small lanterns in red and purple, surrounded by fresh green leaves. Everything is painted in the style of an antique natural-history plate, with careful detail on bird and flower alike, on warm aged parchment.

The picture follows the tradition of Audubon-era natural history plates, when birds were drawn life-size and printed as hand-coloured engravings. John James Audubon's The Birds of America (1827–1838) included the ruby-throated hummingbird, shown feeding among flowers, and such plates often paired a bird with the plants it visits. Fuchsias, native to Central and South America and named after the 16th-century German botanist Leonhart Fuchs, are classic hummingbird flowers, so the pairing here is true to nature.

As bird wall art it brings life to a living room, a hallway or a garden room, above a sofa, a desk or a console. It looks good on cream, parchment, sage, soft green or dusty pink walls. The 7168 × 10752 px print file stays sharp to about 60 × 90 cm, and a warm wood or antique gold frame suits it. A Frame TV version with a gallery mat is included. It pairs well with The Golden Peony.