In 1594, the engraver Jacques de Fornazeris created a striking flight of nine bird portraits. The series marries technical flair with theatrical charm: the specimens are rendered in rich detail and possess a noticeable vitality. A fierce civetta (little owl), barbagianni (barn owl), gallo (rooster), pavone (peacock), pernice (partridge), aquila de corona (crowned eagle), anatra saluatica (duck), fagiano (pheasant), and a pelican-like bird described as a sacco marino all feature here. Each poses, glaring beneath its label, accompanied by contextual vegetation and the occasional familiar — frogs, crabs, butterflies, caterpillars, or smaller birds — in frame. Fornazeris collaborated with the prolific Flemish engraver-publisher Nicolaus van Aelst, who normally specialized in religious and allegorical scenes, to print and distribute the plates.
