This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
One of the most astonishing illustrated books to come out this year is the work of Katrina van Grouw, an ornithologist and fine artist who counts taxidermy among her eclectic skills. The book, titled The Unfeathered Bird, is described as no less than her lifetime's ambition and leafing through its pages, it's easy to see why. It contains 385 drawings of 200 species of birds, dissected to various degrees and posed in life-like positions to give a more thorough understanding of how their anatomy is used in life.
The result is not unlike the popular BodyWorlds exhibits; her exhaustive knowledge of function and form is communicated in through artfully executed dissections and drawings. In describing the years of work that went into collecting, dissecting, posing and drawing the specimens, van Grouw has more than a few humorous stories about filling friends' freezers with dead birds, and there is much to learn from the text about the many adaptations that make the species she highlights unique.
The Unfeathered Bird (2013, Princeton University Press)
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Every day in the month of September, we are serving up a different science artist for your viewing pleasure. Can’t get enough? Check out what was featured on this day last year: Hallucigenia in metal by Darrell Markewitz
