I find the work of Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874-1927) so fascinating. From pencil sketches to ornithological paintings that could easily pass for photographs, there’s such a huge variety of pieces among his work. This ruby-throated hummingbird drawing falls somewhere in between. It’s obviously a painting rather than a photograph and it has the look of a watercolor rather than an oil painting. But, it is yet another example of Fuertes’ love of birds and his ability to capture their likeness on paper and canvas.
This work was included in the wonderful children’s book The Burgess Bird Book for Children. It was written by Thornton W. Burgess (1874-1965) and published in 1919. Rest assured, you’ll be seeing more of the wonderful bird illustrations by Fuertes, which were included in this book, here on Reusable Art.
This ruby-throated hummingbird drawing shows a single bird visiting what appear to be some red, pink and yellow snapdragons. Fuertes has position the bird and captured him in flight so that we may see the beautiful ruby-red throat these little birds are named for. Their bellies are generally covered in grey feathers and their backs, wings and heads have lovely green feathers that sometimes shimmer in the sunshine.
Here in North Carolina, these little birds visit our backyard from spring to fall. It is like winter really isn’t over until the hummingbirds arrive, looking for the feeder that we set out for them each year. Conversely, when we notice they have left us for their annual migration to warmer climes, it seems as if we have lost a favorite friend.
Like all of Fuertes’ work, this ruby-throated hummingbird watercolor is in the public domain. Enjoy and if you would like to share your creative endeavors, please drop me a line.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
