Plate 6. Alecto Restrike edition.
Audubon often added what I call “critters” (insects, reptiles, snails, crustaceans, lizards, etc.) to a scene, sometimes as an element essential to the implied narrative or to evoke the specific habitat, or sometimes just to delight or challenge the viewer with a game of hide-and-seek. In this whimsical print, the chick between the mother’s legs is focused on a tiny yet detailed tick under its wing, while to the right two siblings have discovered, despite its camouflage, a potential treat in the form of a ground snail. Above, another chick is considering a hapless ladybug perched on a daisy. The vigilant, harried mother, with eight chicks to supervise and protect, has little time for these childish diversions.
Other critters throughout the exhibit won’t be cited in detail here. See how many you can spot. Don’t miss the fly that, although part of the image, looks like it was squashed onto the paper by the glass when the print was framed. And if you’re an arachnophile or arachnophobe, watch (or watch out) for some spiders.
