Photography by Dwight Primiano
White-vented Violet-ear
Obsessed with hummingbirds from a young age, Martin Johnson Heade traveled to Brazil in 1863-64 to study and depict the birds in their natural setting, because a majority of the species could only be found there. Titling his series of paintings “The Gems of Brazil,” Heade used brilliant colors to show the jewel-like beauty of the birds’ feathers.
ArtistMartin Johnson Heade(1819-1904)
Dateca. 1863-1864
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions19 x 17 1/8 x 4 in.
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2006.90
ClassificationPainting
Provenance(probably) to Sir Morton Peto [1809-1889], London, England; (country auction, England, before 1939); purchased by Lord Kenneth Clark [1903-1983], England, before 1939; to James Clark [b. 1960] (his grandson), England; to (Alex Reid & Lefevre Ltd, London, England); to (Hirschl & Adler, New York, NY); to (Coe Kerr Gallery, New York, NY), by 1981; purchased by Alex and Marie Manoogian Foundation, Taylor, MI; purchased by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2006
On ViewYes
This artwork's face covers about 45× the area of a tennis ball.Drawn to the same scale.