Larus albus - 1603

Nice large 3/4 page woodcut, carved by Cristoforo Coriolano, featuring a bird named "Lanius albus", a name that today recalls having it in a white variant (albus). However, the bird is shown after a predation, appearing oversized and with an unreal beak, therefore it is more credible that the image is not of a lanius or of a real bird, but rather the depiction of the concept of a predator to which the term “lanius” - executioner - refers.

The antique print derives from the third volume of 1603 of Ulisse Aldrovandi's Ornithology, illustrious Renaissance naturalist and scholar from Bologna.

The condition is excellent, thanks to the superior quality of Italian papers from the five/sixteenths centuries, far better than contemporary foreign productions such as those from the Germanic area. The only flaw is a slight peripheral crease along the right margin.

Accurate and prompt shipping.