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Lot Essay
Martin Johnson Heade's fascination with tropical flora and fauna began early in his career and this curiosity, coalesced with the sojourns he took to South America and Jamaica, inspired his most iconic and celebrated body of work--vivid depictions of orchids and hummingbirds. Hummingbird and Two Types of Orchids, is a superb example of these works that embodies Heade's captivation with the natural world and demonstrates his mastery of light, color and composition.
Heade traveled to Brazil to produce an illustrated catalogue of hummingbirds titled The Gems of Brazil and the Boston Transcript reported on August 12, 1863 that, "M.J. Heade Esq., the artist so well known for his landscapes... is about to visit Brazil, to paint those winged jewels, the hummingbirds, in all their variety of life as found beneath the tropics." (as quoted in T.E. Stebbins, Jr., The Life and Work of Martin Johnson Heade: A Critical Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven, Connecticut, 2000, p. 61) At that time, Brazil would have provided the artist with access to more than three hundred species of the bird. Over the course of his visits, Heade's depictions of hummingbirds and their surroundings evolved. At first they were smaller and positioned closer to their nests, whereas those painted after the second trip were of a slightly larger size and less dependent on their surroundings. Over time Heade introduced the orchid, which became an integral part of these compositions after the artist's trip to Jamaica in 1870.
Hummingbird and Two Types of Orchids, depicts an amethyst woodstar hummingbird (Calliphlox amethystine) next to a Cattleya labiata orchid. The sun filters through the clouds creating a dramatic play of light and shadow, which enhances the snaking silhouette of the flower and the arc of its frilled petals. The orchid is simultaneously delicate and powerful, seducing the boldly colored hummingbird momentarily settled on a nearby branch. The rich and complementary pinks and greens of these primary subjects combine with the more subdued hues of the tropical forest to evoke the fecundity and vibrancy of nature.
Heade's interests and knoweldge of his subjects were admired by many during his lifetime, including his friend Frederic Edwin Church, who owned a hummingbird and orchid painting by the artist and hung it in his home, Olana. Heade's hummingbird and orchid pictures are among the most unique and beautiful nineteenth century depictions of nature.
Heade traveled to Brazil to produce an illustrated catalogue of hummingbirds titled The Gems of Brazil and the Boston Transcript reported on August 12, 1863 that, "M.J. Heade Esq., the artist so well known for his landscapes... is about to visit Brazil, to paint those winged jewels, the hummingbirds, in all their variety of life as found beneath the tropics." (as quoted in T.E. Stebbins, Jr., The Life and Work of Martin Johnson Heade: A Critical Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven, Connecticut, 2000, p. 61) At that time, Brazil would have provided the artist with access to more than three hundred species of the bird. Over the course of his visits, Heade's depictions of hummingbirds and their surroundings evolved. At first they were smaller and positioned closer to their nests, whereas those painted after the second trip were of a slightly larger size and less dependent on their surroundings. Over time Heade introduced the orchid, which became an integral part of these compositions after the artist's trip to Jamaica in 1870.
Hummingbird and Two Types of Orchids, depicts an amethyst woodstar hummingbird (Calliphlox amethystine) next to a Cattleya labiata orchid. The sun filters through the clouds creating a dramatic play of light and shadow, which enhances the snaking silhouette of the flower and the arc of its frilled petals. The orchid is simultaneously delicate and powerful, seducing the boldly colored hummingbird momentarily settled on a nearby branch. The rich and complementary pinks and greens of these primary subjects combine with the more subdued hues of the tropical forest to evoke the fecundity and vibrancy of nature.
Heade's interests and knoweldge of his subjects were admired by many during his lifetime, including his friend Frederic Edwin Church, who owned a hummingbird and orchid painting by the artist and hung it in his home, Olana. Heade's hummingbird and orchid pictures are among the most unique and beautiful nineteenth century depictions of nature.