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Elicia's Hummingbird | Original Reichenbach Antique Engraving
  • Elicia's Hummingbird | Original Reichenbach Antique Engraving
  • Elicia's Hummingbird | Original Reichenbach Antique Engraving
  • Elicia's Hummingbird | Original Reichenbach Antique Engraving
  • Elicia's Hummingbird | Original Reichenbach Antique Engraving
Elicia's Hummingbird | Original Reichenbach Antique Engraving
Elicia's Hummingbird (Chrysuronia eliciae) – Original Hand-Colored Engraving by Ludwig Reichenbach, Antique Print Elicia's Hummingbird (Chrysuronia eliciae) – Original Hand-Colored Engraving by Ludwig Reichenbach, Antique Print Elicia's Hummingbird (Chrysuronia eliciae) – Original Hand-Colored Engraving by Ludwig Reichenbach, Antique Print Elicia's Hummingbird (Chrysuronia eliciae) – Original Hand-Colored Engraving by Ludwig Reichenbach, Antique Print

Elicia's Hummingbird (Chrysuronia eliciae) – Original Hand-Colored Engraving by Ludwig Reichenbach, Antique Print

€445.00
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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.

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  Authentic antique prints

Original engravings from the 17th–19th century.

A Botanical Dialogue: Four Hummingbirds, Two Tropical Worlds

This richly composed original nineteenth-century hand-colored engraving from Ludwig Reichenbach's Trochilinarum Enumeratio depicts Chrysuronia eliciae, associated by Reichenbach with Brazil. The plate presents four hummingbirds within two distinct botanical settings, creating one of the most dynamic and visually varied compositions of the series.

Rather than focusing on a single floral motif, Reichenbach builds the engraving as a dialogue between different tropical plants, colours and feeding behaviours. The result is a vivid celebration of biodiversity, where hummingbirds and flowers appear as inseparable parts of a living ecosystem.

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Visual Analysis

The engraving is arranged almost like two scenes within one plate. In the upper section, two hummingbirds interact with an exotic yellow-orange blossom, while the lower portion introduces a second floral world with brilliant red tubular flowers. This vertical division gives the composition exceptional rhythm and variety.

Emerald greens, deep blues, warm oranges and vivid reds are distributed with remarkable balance across the sheet. The four birds guide the eye from one botanical setting to the other, creating a sense of movement that is both scientific and decorative. It is one of the plates where Reichenbach's ability to unite natural observation and artistic composition is especially evident.

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About the Species

This plate depicts Chrysuronia eliciae, a hummingbird recorded by Reichenbach in association with Brazil. The species is presented through multiple figures, allowing the viewer to observe different positions, plumage effects and feeding attitudes within a single composition.

Reichenbach associated Chrysuronia eliciae with Pitcairnia exscapa Hook., a tropical bromeliad whose tubular flowers are especially suited to nectar-feeding birds. The engraving beautifully expresses the ecological relationship between hummingbirds and specialised flowering plants, while the additional botanical elements enrich the plate as a celebration of tropical diversity.

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Heritage Stories

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.

Ludwig Reichenbach and the Art of Hummingbirds →

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Condition Report

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.

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Details

Species: Chrysuronia eliciae (Bourcier & Mulsant, 1846)
Common name: Elicia's Hummingbird
Work: Trochilinarum Enumeratio
Author: Ludwig Reichenbach
Date: c. 1855–1860
Technique: Original hand-colored engraving
Plate: DCCXXII (722)
Reference numbers: 4644–45
Inscription: ad naturam (“drawn from life”)
Associated plant: Pitcairnia exscapa Hook.
Origin noted by Reichenbach: Brazil
Sheet size: approx. 28.5 × 22.5 cm

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