The Little Brown Duck (Anas rustica) (1754)

"The Little Brown Duck (Anas rustica)" (1754) is a work by Mark Catesby. It is listed in the Plants & Animals collection. The image is in landscape orientation. Plants & Animals in brief: Naturalists and artists often worked together, especially on voyages and in published surveys of flora and fauna. Images of plants and animals run from medieval herbals and bestiaries to the scientific illustration of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. Context for 1754: The eighteenth century began with the light, ornamental Rococo, especially in France, and moved towards the clarity and antique references of Neoclassicism by the end of the century. In Japan, ukiyo-e woodblock printing flourished in the Edo period and made colour prints a popular and affordable art form.

"The Little Brown Duck (Anas rustica)" is shown in the onlly.art catalogue for reference and browsing. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Flora and fauna subjects make an interior feel softer and more alive, adding a natural rhythm that works well in both traditional and contemporary spaces. Browsing works by the same artist, or from the same period, is a good way to compare styles before choosing what suits your space.

English, 1683–1749

If you like the visual language of Mark Catesby, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.