清 Qing dynasty
冊 紙本設色 Album leaf, ink and colors on silk
41.1cm (H) x 44.1cm (W)
〈鳥譜〉共十二冊，每冊三十幅，計三百六十幅。每開右頁以工筆結合西洋技法，描繪各種鳥類，其中亦包含傳說中的鳥種；左頁以漢、滿兩種文字，記述其名稱與生態習性等，類近現代鳥類百科圖鑑。此作採用花鳥畫的構圖和筆墨形式，每幅均可當作花鳥冊頁作品觀賞。其創作概念和內涵在歷代花鳥畫中罕見，藝術價值獨特。
Manual of Birds is comprised of twelve albums with 30 leaves each, totaling 360 works. On the right of each folding leaf is a depiction in fine-line brushwork and Western painting methods for a different kind of bird, some of which are mythical. On the left is a text written in Chinese and Manchu with the name of the bird, its habits, and environs, making it similar to a modern illustrated compendium of birds. This album employs the compositional forms and artistic methods of bird-and-flower painting to record the features and habitats of birds. The illustrated leaves, moreover, can be regarded as individual works of art. The unique ideas and contents in this album make it a rarity in the history of Chinese bird-and-flower painting, bestowing upon it exceptional artistic value.
