Carmine Bee-Eater

Laszlo Layton, American, born 1959
Carmine Bee-Eater, 2007
Cyanotypes

Laszlo Layton’s Cabinet of Curiosities series is influenced by his research in 18th- and 19th-century natural history illustration, especially that of John James Audubon. Layton was intrigued that many of the drawings were made not from nature but from mounted specimens or from written accounts of the animal species. Through the use of photography, he was inspired to recapture and distill the essence of these old illustrations—first photographing a museum specimen and then later creating a handpainted cyanotype print.

The Carmine Bee-Eater, seen here, is an exotic bird species found only on the African continent.

Cabinet of Curiosities: Photography & Specimens. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, September 12 , 2012- February 10, 2013, no cat.