Vintage Red Macaw Print
Buy this print on Etsy →A dazzling burst of tropical colour, this antique print of a red macaw 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 multi-volume folio produced in Florence in the 1760s and 1770s. The brilliant scarlet, blue and gold parrot is rendered life-size and full of character, perched against a soft aged ground, every feather glowing with the hand-coloured richness that made Manetti's plates so prized.
Commissioned by the Marquis Giovanni Gerini and overseen by the physician and botanist Saverio Manetti, the '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 in the flesh. The macaws, with their flamboyant plumage, were natural stars of the collection, and this scarlet macaw is among the most striking of them all - 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 an affection and boldness that feels almost modern, its saturated reds and blues leaping off the page. It carries all the romance of a Grand Tour cabinet of curiosities, when the natural world was being catalogued for the very first time.
As wall art it is an instant statement piece. The vivid tropical palette makes it perfect for a living room, study or sunroom, a nursery or child's room, a maximalist gallery wall or any space that could use a jolt of colour and personality. It is a wonderful gift for bird lovers, parrot owners, naturalists and anyone drawn to vintage ornithology and exotic, jungle-inspired decor, 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 brilliant reds and blues, the fine feather detail and the soft warmth of the antique paper - ready to frame and enjoy for years to come.
