Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) (1890)

Dated 1890, "Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)" is an artwork by F. E. Wachsmuth. The catalogue places it in Plants & Animals. The format is landscape. Plants & Animals, a short history: Images of plants and animals run from medieval herbals and bestiaries to the scientific illustration of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. Naturalists and artists often worked together, especially on voyages and in published surveys of flora and fauna. About the period around 1890: Japanese prints reached Europe in large numbers and influenced many artists, while photography changed what painting needed to do. In the 1890s, colour lithography and Art Nouveau made the illustrated poster a celebrated art form.

Everything for "Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)" arrives digitally: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI. Once payment is confirmed, an email brings the download link, and from there you decide how to print it, whether at home, at a print shop, or through an online service. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Matching the frame to the image proportions avoids cropping. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks.

German, 1870–1910

If you like the visual language of F. E. Wachsmuth, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.