Vintage White Cockatoo Print
Buy this print on Etsy →An elegant burst of the exotic, this antique print of a white cockatoo comes from one of the most beautiful ornithological books of the eighteenth century - Saverio Manetti's 'Storia naturale degli uccelli' (Natural History of Birds), a lavish folio produced in Florence in the 1760s and 1770s. The snowy parrot, its crest raised and eye bright, is rendered life-size and full of character against a soft aged ground, every feather glowing with the delicate hand-colouring that made Manetti's plates so prized.
Commissioned by the Marquis Giovanni Gerini and overseen by the physician and botanist Saverio Manetti, the great 'Ornitologia' was an extraordinary labour of love: some six hundred birds engraved and then coloured entirely by hand, many of them exotic species that most Europeans of the day had never seen alive. The cockatoos and parrots, with their dramatic crests and striking plumage, were natural stars of the collection - equal parts scientific record and pure decorative splendour.
What makes these plates so appealing today is exactly that blend of accuracy and warmth. The bird is carefully observed yet drawn with real affection and presence, its crisp white feathers set off beautifully by the warm antique paper. It carries all the romance of a Grand Tour cabinet of curiosities, from an age when the natural world was being catalogued for the very first time.
As wall art it is effortlessly chic. The elegant form and soft palette make it a natural for a living room, study, bedroom or sunroom, a nursery or a gallery wall, and it suits classic, tropical, chinoiserie and eclectic interiors alike. It is a lovely gift for bird lovers, parrot and cockatoo owners, naturalists and anyone drawn to vintage ornithology, and it pairs beautifully with other antique bird and botanical prints.
Because the original was published in the eighteenth century, it is firmly in the public domain, which is why we can reproduce it at full museum quality.
Each print is produced on premium 189 gsm museum-grade archival matte paper, faithfully capturing the fine feather detail and soft warmth of the antique paper - ready to frame and enjoy for years to come.
