Hummingbird and Passionflowers

Artist
Martin Johnson Heade
Year
ca. 1875–85
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
20 x 12 in. (50.8 x 30.5 cm)

Martin Johnson Heade was an American painter known for his luminous landscapes, salt marshes, and botanical subjects. His hummingbird paintings, inspired by trips to Brazil and Central America, represent a unique fusion of artistic sensitivity and scientific curiosity. Heade’s work was largely forgotten after his death but has been rediscovered as one of the most original contributions to American art of the nineteenth century.