Rusticula, Beccasse (The Woodcock), from "Livre d'Oyseaux" (Book of Birds) 1650 - 1665

This etching, "Rusticula, Beccasse" (The Woodcock), is part of Albert Flamen's "Livre d'Oyseaux" (Book of Birds), a collection of detailed bird illustrations created between 1650 and 1665. The print depicts four woodcocks in a landscape setting, three of which are in flight with the fourth standing on the ground, in the foreground, looking toward the viewer. Flamen was a Dutch artist who specialized in depicting the natural world, making this print a fine example of his expertise in both bird anatomy and landscape representation.