Original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving depicting the Green-tailed Trainbearer (Lesbia bifurcata), one of Ludwig Reichenbach’s most elegant hummingbird compositions from Trochilinarum Enumeratio.
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Original engravings from the 17th–19th century.
This original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving depicts the Green-tailed Trainbearer (Lesbia bifurcata), one of the most graceful hummingbirds illustrated in Ludwig Reichenbach’s celebrated Trochilinarum Enumeratio. Published during the Victorian golden age of natural history, the composition transforms scientific observation into an image of remarkable elegance and movement.
The extraordinary elongated tail feathers create a striking visual rhythm, while emerald-green plumage and delicate yellow blossoms provide a refined chromatic balance. The result is a composition that appears almost weightless, capturing the illusion of suspended flight with remarkable sophistication.
Among Reichenbach’s hummingbird engravings, this plate is distinguished by its exceptional sense of symmetry and movement. The two birds mirror one another across the page, while their elongated tails create elegant vertical lines that guide the eye through the composition.
The restrained palette of emerald greens, warm browns and soft yellow botanical elements gives the engraving an unusually sophisticated decorative character. Its minimalist composition and generous margins make it particularly suited to refined interiors, libraries, studies and curated collections of natural history art.
Lesbia bifurcata, today commonly known as the Green-tailed Trainbearer, is native to the Andean regions of South America. Its most distinctive feature is the remarkably elongated forked tail, which made the species a favourite subject among nineteenth-century naturalists and illustrators.
Reichenbach's depiction highlights precisely those characteristics that fascinated Victorian ornithologists: aerodynamic elegance, visual symmetry and the extraordinary ornamental beauty of hummingbird plumage. The engraving demonstrates how scientific illustration could simultaneously serve both taxonomy and art.
This engraving belongs to Ludwig Reichenbach’s remarkable world of hummingbirds, where Victorian scientific curiosity meets extraordinary visual elegance. Explore the story behind Trochilinarum Enumeratio and discover why these original hummingbird engravings remain so compelling today.
Very Good to Excellent condition. Original nineteenth-century paper with strong hand-colouring, generous margins and a well-preserved impression. Visible plate mark consistent with period intaglio printing. Minor signs of age may be present, fully consistent with authenticity and historical character.
Species: Lesbia bifurcata
Common name: Green-tailed Trainbearer
Work: Trochilinarum Enumeratio
Author: Ludwig Reichenbach
Date: c. 1855–1860
Technique: Original hand-colored engraving
Plate: DCCXVI (716)
Reference number: 4624–25
Associated plant: Hibiscus ferox
Inscription: ad naturam (“drawn from life”)
Origin noted by Reichenbach: Peru
Sheet size: approx. 28.5 × 22.5 cm
Specific References
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Original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving depicting Victoria's Trainbearer (Lesbia victoriae), a rare Andean hummingbird illustrated by Ludwig Reichenbach in Trochilinarum Enumeratio.
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An exceptional original hand-colored engraving from Ludwig Reichenbach's Trochilinarum Enumeratio, depicting the magnificent Crimson Topaz (Topaza pyra) beside its beautifully woven nest. One of the rarest behavioural studies in nineteenth-century ornithological illustration, combining scientific observation with remarkable decorative elegance.
An original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving from Ludwig Reichenbach's Trochilinarum Enumeratio, portraying emerald hummingbirds feeding among brilliant crimson and golden blossoms. A refined natural history composition celebrating the extraordinary colours and botanical diversity of the tropical forest.
An original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving from Ludwig Reichenbach's Trochilinarum Enumeratio, depicting Mango Hummingbirds feeding among elegant tropical blossoms. This refined composition celebrates the remarkable evolutionary relationship between hummingbirds and the flowers they pollinate.
Original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving by Ludwig Reichenbach, depicting three hummingbirds among pink blossoms. A rare later plate from the Trochilinarum Enumeratio corpus, not fully documented in the principal published index.
Original 19th-century hummingbird engraving depicting Cuvier’s Sabrewing (*Campylopterus cuvierii*), published by Ludwig Reichenbach for *Trochilinarum Enumeratio*. A refined composition marked *ad naturam* — drawn from life — combining scientific observation with remarkable decorative elegance.
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