Scarlet Ibis with an Egg, Dorothea Maria Gsell (attributed to), 1699 - 1701
opaque and transparent watercolour, over traces of graphite, on vellum, h 421mm × w 308mm Catalogue entry
Dorothea Graff depicted this bird in Suriname, where she spent two years with her mother Maria Sibylla Merian observing and drawing native flora and fauna. An unidentified inscription incorrectly names the bird a flamingo. Graff portrayed the ibis in profile, as was customary in scientific illustrations at the time. She achieved the rich texture of the feathers by using a subtle tonal range and various brushstrokes.
