Ceylon Hawk-Eagle – Keulemans, Antique Bird Print
  • Ceylon Hawk-Eagle – Keulemans, Antique Bird Print
  • Ceylon Hawk-Eagle – Keulemans, Antique Bird Print
  • Ceylon Hawk-Eagle – Keulemans, Antique Bird Print
  • Ceylon Hawk-Eagle – Keulemans, Antique Bird Print
Ceylon Hawk-Eagle – Keulemans, Antique Bird Print
Ceylon Hawk-Eagle (Spizaëtus ceylonensis) – Original Antique Bird Print by Keulemans Ceylon Hawk-Eagle (Spizaëtus ceylonensis) – Original Antique Bird Print by Keulemans Ceylon Hawk-Eagle (Spizaëtus ceylonensis) – Original Antique Bird Print by Keulemans Ceylon Hawk-Eagle (Spizaëtus ceylonensis) – Original Antique Bird Print by Keulemans

Ceylon Hawk-Eagle (Spizaëtus ceylonensis) – Original Antique Bird Print by Keulemans

€335.00
Tax included

Original antique bird print depicting Spizaëtus ceylonensis (Ceylon Hawk-Eagle), illustrated by J.G. Keulemans for A History of the Birds of Ceylon. A refined Victorian ornithological lithograph featuring an elegant pair of raptors with remarkable decorative presence.

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  Authentic antique prints

Original engravings from the 17th–19th century.

Ceylon Hawk-Eagle: Quiet Authority in Victorian Ornithological Art

This original 19th-century ornithological lithograph depicts the Ceylon Hawk-Eagle (Spizaëtus ceylonensis), illustrated by Johannes Gerardus Keulemans for A History of the Birds of Ceylon. The composition presents a beautifully balanced pair of raptors — an imposing adult alongside a younger companion — rendered with exceptional precision and compositional restraint.

Rather than dramatic action, the engraving conveys calm vigilance and quiet strength, qualities that give the image a timeless and highly decorative character.

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Visual and Aesthetic Analysis

The composition is dominated by the elegant vertical presence of the larger eagle, whose elongated posture and finely articulated plumage create a strong sculptural effect. The distinctive crest introduces movement and visual identity, while the carefully layered feathers display Keulemans’s characteristic attention to texture.

The younger bird adds balance and narrative subtlety. Positioned slightly behind and rendered in lighter tones, it softens the authority of the adult and creates a harmonious visual dialogue between maturity and youth.

The restrained palette of warm browns, creams and soft greys reinforces the engraving’s sense of refinement. A lightly atmospheric background allows the birds to emerge with clarity, giving the composition unusual visual calm.

The result is a sophisticated natural history engraving — understated yet powerful, equally suited to collectors of ornithology and to elegant interiors seeking intellectual decorative pieces.

About the Ceylon Hawk-Eagle

The hawk-eagles of South Asia are admired for their agility, commanding presence and remarkable hunting abilities. Their elegant crests and strongly patterned plumage made them particularly fascinating subjects for nineteenth-century ornithologists.

Within Victorian natural history, birds of prey represented both scientific curiosity and visual grandeur — creatures admired as symbols of precision, power and wilderness.

Heritage Stories

This engraving belongs to A History of the Birds of Ceylon, an important Victorian ornithological publication devoted to the remarkable avifauna of Sri Lanka. The plates illustrated by J.G. Keulemans remain highly appreciated for their rare balance between scientific exactitude and decorative sophistication.

Keulemans’s refined handling of raptors helped establish him as one of the most respected ornithological artists of the nineteenth century, admired equally by scientists, collectors and museums.

Discover more about the artist: J.G. Keulemans — Precision and Passion in Ornithological Illustration.

Browse the complete collection: Keulemans – Birds of Ceylon Collection, featuring rare Victorian ornithological lithographs from one of the great masters of bird illustration.

Condition Report

Exceptionally fresh antique condition. A beautifully preserved impression retaining strong clarity, bright original color and refined tonal depth throughout the plumage. The sheet presents an unusually clean and crisp appearance with generous margins. No watermark observed. Minor signs of age may be present, fully consistent with the period.

Details

  • Artist: Johannes Gerardus Keulemans (signed in the plate)
  • Work: A History of the Birds of Ceylon
  • Species: Spizaëtus ceylonensis (Ceylon Hawk-Eagle)
  • Date: Late 19th century
  • Technique: Lithograph with original hand-coloring
  • Paper: Original period paper
  • Watermark: None observed
  • Dimensions: approx. 38 × 28 cm (sheet)
  • Condition: Exceptionally fresh impression
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