Jean Bungartz (1854-1934)
Barn Swallows
German: c. 1880s-1920s
Watercolor on paper
Signed lower right
12 x 9 inches
Watercolor painting of barn swallows flying over a body of water, with a quaint village vignette. One bird is featured in great detail in the foreground, while others of its species fly behind it in the distance. The artist’s composition emphasizes the birds’ striking forked tails and swooping flight paths. This may have been made as an illustration for a natural history book or series of prints. Barn swallows are indigenous to Europe and North America.
Jean Bungartz was a German painter of birds and animals, as well as the author and illustrator of many books. A number of these books featured dogs and cats. In 1890, he helped create the German Association for Medical Dogs, laying the foundation for the use and training of search and rescue dogs.
References:
“Jean Bungartz.” Wikipedia. 2 March 2007. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Bungartz (14 June 2007)
