Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt, 1596 - 1610
brush, h 173mm × w 234mm More details
De Boodt probably compiled his ‘three large albums’ as follows: one for plants, one for animals, and one for birds. The bird album was damaged, which may explain why all the drawings were rebound in the early 19th century. Only the branch, on which this great spotted woodpecker perches, was affected. The bird itself – identified by the red spot on its head as a male – was left unscathed.
