Pair of Brown Birds on a Rose Stem with Butterfly and Spider

Two brown, streaked songbirds perch on a thorny rose stem, beaks raised toward each other, beside a pink rose bud and open bloom. Green leaves, a small spider, and a blue butterfly fill the pale background of this pen-and-ink drawing with watercolor-like washes.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1800–1830

Medium

Pen and ink, graphite on coated wove paper

Source

Smithsonian (Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum)

Size

3025 × 2288 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Smithsonian Institution, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum