Eider Duckling (Somateria mollissima)
~ 1828
About this artwork
An engraved illustration of a young Common Eider duckling, also known by its scientific name Somateria mollissima, standing on a rock. The work was delineated by W. Wright and engraved by A. Börtze, intended for a natural history publication.
Did you know?
The Common Eider is renowned for its remarkably soft and insulating down, highly prized for centuries in bedding and cold-weather clothing. This detailed illustration captures a juvenile eider, likely produced for an ornithological study or a comprehensive natural history compendium. The collaborative process between an artist who delineated the subject and an engraver was a common practice for achieving precise and reproducible scientific illustrations before the advent of widespread photography.
Know the artwork. Knowing its title and artist turns a beautiful image into a story worth sharing — with a museum label:
Eider Duckling (Somateria mollissima)
Wihelm Wright, ~ 1828
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