Nicolas Robert (French, 1614-1685)
Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) [The American Flamingo]
Pencil, watercolor and gouache, on vellum, with gold border
ca, 1675
Vellum size: 14 1/2 x 10 5/8 in
Frame size: 20 1/2 x 24 3/4 in
Provenance: Marcel Jeanson, Christie’s 10 June 2000, lot 46.
# AP00763

Phoenicopterus ruber, the American or Caribbean flamingo, is the only flamingo species native to North America, ranging through the Caribbean basin, the Yucatan Peninsula, and the Galapagos Islands. Its coloration, more intensely pink than the greater flamingo of Europe and Africa, derives entirely from carotenoid pigments in its diet of algae and crustaceans.

Flamingos became objects of fascination at the French court during the seventeenth century, arriving as diplomatic gifts and curiosities for the royal menageries at Versailles and Vincennes. Louis XIV’s passion for exotic fauna created demand for natural history illustration of the highest order, and Robert was uniquely positioned to supply it. As peintre ordinaire for the miniatures of the king’s cabinet of rarities, he had direct access to live specimens and worked in the tradition of detailed vellum painting that developed from the Flemish illuminators of the previous century. His flamingos combine scientific fidelity with a compositional poise that has never been surpassed.

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