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Woodpeckers: 4171.4

An image of Drawing
View image details Mirador icon - view image Mirador deep zoom IIIF Manifest IIIF Manifest Slow looking

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Alternative views

An image of Drawing
An image of Drawing
Current Location: In storage

Titles

Woodpeckers

Maker(s)

Youqua

Entities

Categories

Description

A watercolour drawing from the album 4171. This image depicts a pair of woodpeckers positioned on the branches of a tree in a naturalistic setting. Both birds display the characteristic features of their species with striking red heads, contrasting with their predominantly black and white plumage. The birds exhibit the typical woodpecker body form with strong, straight bills adapted for drilling into bark, and robust claws for gripping vertical surfaces. The upper bird shows distinctive white spotting across its dark wings and back, while the lower bird displays similar patterning with subtle variations in the distribution of markings. The setting features a gnarled tree with bare, branching limbs that provide natural perches for the woodpeckers. The botanical elements are rendered with careful attention to their naturalistic forms, complementing the detailed portrayal of the birds. The painting demonstrates the fine brushwork characteristic of Chinese export art from the late 18th or early 19th century, combining ornithological documentation and traditional Chinese flower-and-bird painting style.

Measurements and weight

Height: 250 mm
Width: 337 mm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1909) by Bothamley, Rev. H.

Note

Export album made for the Western market

School or Style

Chinese
Chinese export art
Chinese export watercolour

Materials used in production

Watercolour
Bodycolour
White highlights
Ink

Components of the work

Support composed of pith paper

Techniques used in production

Drawing : Watercolour, bodycolour and ink with heightening in white on pith paper, laid down with with strips of blue silk-covered paper

Identification numbers

Accession number: 4171.4
Primary reference Number: 185666

Audit data

Created: Tuesday 11 October 2011 Updated: Thursday 28 August 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Woodpeckers" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/185666 Accessed: 2025-12-07 12:24:04

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/185666 |title=Woodpeckers |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-07 12:24:04|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-185666

Bootstrap HTML code for reuse

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<div class="text-center">
    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/pdp/pdp82/large_4171_284_29_201106_amt49_dc2.jpg"
        alt="Woodpeckers"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Woodpeckers</figcaption>
    </figure>
</div>

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