Plate 74 Indigo Bird 

John James Audubon rendered this "Indigo Bird" with watercolor, etching, and aquatint. Birds, like the indigo bunting, carry a symbolic weight across cultures and history, often representing freedom and the soul's journey. The indigo bird's striking color is reminiscent of lapis lazuli, a stone revered in antiquity and associated with royalty and divinity. Think of the Madonna's robes in countless Renaissance paintings, dyed with precious ultramarine, a pigment derived from lapis. This potent hue signifies purity and spiritual power, a concept echoed in various cultures through time. In ancient Egypt, birds were linked to the soul's transition, carrying it to the afterlife. This association, embedded deep within our collective unconscious, may explain our continuing fascination with avian creatures, their ability to transcend earthly bounds resonating with our yearning for transcendence. Even now, birds in flight evoke a sense of longing and liberation, their symbolism constantly evolving as we project our hopes and dreams onto them.