Open AccessThe flight of the shrike. The ornithological representation in the <em>Baptism of Christ</em> (1470-1475 c.) by Andrea del Verrocchio and Leonardo da Vinci
Author(s) -
Marco Masseti
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
natural history sciences/natural history sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2385-0442
pISSN - 2385-0922
DOI - 10.4081/nhs.2021.538
Subject(s) - art , baptism , shrike , depiction , representation (politics) , the renaissance , supper , art history , humanities , philosophy , theology , literature , biology , ecology , habitat , politics , political science , law
The artists of the Italian Renaissance were keen observers of nature. Their works are often enriched with realistic details that inform us about the high degree of their scientific knowledge. In the particular case of the Baptism of Christ (1470-1475 c.) by Andrea del Verrocchio and Leonardo da Vinci, the careful depiction of certain bird species, including a red-backed shrike and a redstart, reveals precise meanings closely related to Christological symbolism.