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An original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving from Ludwig Reichenbach's Trochilinarum Enumeratio, depicting three hummingbirds gathered around elegant pendulous blossoms. One of the most harmonious compositions of the series, celebrating movement, colour and the timeless relationship between hummingbirds and flowering plants.
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Original engravings from the 17th–19th century.
This original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving from Ludwig Reichenbach's Trochilinarum Enumeratio presents three hummingbirds gathered around a graceful cluster of pendulous blossoms. Belonging to the historical Sylphae group, the plate is one of those later compositions for which exact species identification is not documented in the surviving index.
Rather than forcing a speculative attribution, this catalogue preserves the integrity of the original work by focusing on what the engraving reveals with certainty: movement, colour, botanical elegance and the timeless relationship between hummingbirds and flowering plants.
The composition is organised around a single flowering branch that draws the birds together. One hummingbird rests above the blossoms, another hovers in active flight, and a third rises from below, creating a graceful triangular rhythm that gives the scene a sense of quiet movement and natural encounter.
Soft pink blossoms, emerald plumage and touches of deep blue and rose create a refined chromatic harmony. The engraving has an almost intimate quality: it feels less like a formal scientific arrangement and more like a moment observed within a living tropical habitat.
This engraving belongs to Reichenbach's historical Sylphae arrangement, a section that includes some of the most elegant and visually refined hummingbird plates in Trochilinarum Enumeratio. In the absence of a secure species attribution in the surviving index, the plate is best understood as part of Reichenbach's broader visual exploration of hummingbird form, movement and ornament.
The pendulous blossoms depicted by the artist evoke the nectar-rich tropical flowers that support hummingbird life. Their shape and placement reinforce the ecological theme running throughout the series: flowering plants are not merely decorative backgrounds, but essential partners in the behaviour, movement and survival of these remarkable birds.
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 condition. Original nineteenth-century paper with strong hand colouring and a clear plate mark. Minor age-related signs may be present, entirely consistent with authenticity and the historical character of the work.
Species: Sylphae group (historical arrangement; exact species not documented in the surviving index)
Work: Trochilinarum Enumeratio
Author: Ludwig Reichenbach
Date: c. 1855–1860
Technique: Original hand-colored engraving
Plate: DCCCXXXIII (833)
Reference numbers: 4960–62
Inscription: ad naturam (“drawn from life”)
Botanical setting: Tropical flowering plant depicted by the artist (species not documented in the surviving index)
Sheet size: approx. 28.5 × 22.5 cm
Specific References
Original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving depicting the Purple-throated Carib (Eulampis jugularis), one of the most spectacular Caribbean hummingbirds illustrated in Ludwig Reichenbach’s Trochilinarum Enumeratio.
Original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving depicting Victoria's Trainbearer (Lesbia victoriae), a rare Andean hummingbird illustrated by Ludwig Reichenbach in Trochilinarum Enumeratio.
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.
Original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving depicting the Jamaican Mango (Anthracothorax mango), a striking tropical hummingbird illustrated by Ludwig Reichenbach in his celebrated Trochilinarum Enumeratio.
An exceptionally decorative nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving depicting the Crimson Topaz (Topaza pyra), one of the most spectacular hummingbirds of the Amazon Basin. Published by Ludwig Reichenbach in Trochilinarum Enumeratio, the composition combines vibrant colour, remarkable movement and a rarely encountered nesting scene.
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.
An exceptional original hand-colored engraving from Ludwig Reichenbach's Trochilinarum Enumeratio, depicting five brilliant hummingbirds feeding among scarlet tropical flowers. Featuring Esmeralda, Euchloris and Maculicollis, this dynamic nineteenth-century composition beautifully combines botanical richness with the elegance of Victorian ornithological illustration.
Original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving depicting the Blue-headed Sabrewing (Saepiopterus lazulus), a tropical hummingbird illustrated by Ludwig Reichenbach in his celebrated Trochilinarum Enumeratio.
An original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving from Ludwig Reichenbach's Trochilinarum Enumeratio, portraying elegant long-tailed hummingbirds suspended among cascading tropical blossoms. This exceptionally decorative composition combines graceful movement, botanical beauty and the refined artistry of Victorian natural history illustration.
An original hand-colored engraving depicting Lucian's Puffleg (Eriocnemis luciani), one of the most distinctive high-Andean hummingbirds illustrated by Ludwig Reichenbach in Trochilinarum Enumeratio (c. 1855–1860). Drawn ad naturam ("from life"), the composition captures the remarkable white feather tufts that give pufflegs their name, together with brilliant emerald plumage and delicate yellow blossoms. Combining Victorian scientific precision with refined decorative elegance, this authentic nineteenth-century engraving remains both an important ornithological document and a striking work of natural history art.
An original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving from Ludwig Reichenbach's Trochilinarum Enumeratio, depicting Bourcieria prunellii among the vibrant blossoms of Achimenes picta. A refined composition balancing quiet observation and graceful flight in one of the most elegant plates of the series.
An original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving from Ludwig Reichenbach's Trochilinarum Enumeratio, depicting Lesbia victoriae among spectacular tropical blossoms. A refined natural history composition celebrating the remarkable partnership between hummingbirds and flowering plants.
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, depicting brilliantly iridescent hummingbirds feeding among Stachytarpheta and Cleome blossoms. A refined composition celebrating the extraordinary colours and botanical relationships of tropical hummingbirds.
An exceptional original hand-colored engraving from Ludwig Reichenbach's Trochilinarum Enumeratio, portraying hummingbirds during the nesting season. Featuring a beautifully woven nest, delicate blue flowers and vibrant emerald plumage, this rare nineteenth-century composition combines ornithological observation with remarkable decorative elegance.
An original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving from Ludwig Reichenbach's Trochilinarum Enumeratio, depicting Chrysuronia eliciae among the tropical blossoms of Pitcairnia exscapa. A richly composed Victorian natural history plate celebrating hummingbirds, botanical diversity and the living complexity of tropical ecosystems.