contrast, "sought to gain direct knowledge of his subjects in their natural set- tings traversing woods, plains, and swamps all over the land," May notes. He rarely painted stuffed specimens but instead "drew directly from freshly killed birds in order to capture the shapes, textures, and colors as accurately as possible. He threaded birds with wire to set them in poses which were both characteristic of their daily activities, such as foraging or hunting prey, and aesthetically pleasing."
In...