Fuertes Revisited

[Danvarner@aol.com]

  Something for the paleo-life artists and ornithologically inclined out 
there. And Ilja.
  About a year ago I mentioned Cornell University's website of Louis Agassiz 
Fuertes' artwork. He was the premier bird painter in the U.S. in the early 
part of this century. He was a contemporary and friend of Chas.R.Knight. 
Anywho...(as Mickey would say), I was visiting the site today, mainly 
enjoying Fuertes hawks and owls, when I decided to check something out. 
Fuertes actually did several quick drawings of Archaeopteryx. I think there's 
a very rough Hesperornis also. Just plug archaeopteryx in the box marked 
"bird name or keyword" at this url: 
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/Birds/query1.html 
  In addition, in reference to the posts on counter-shading earlier this 
week, I'd like to note that there is an article in the June issue of American 
Art Review magazine about Abbott Thayer who is the subject of an exhibition 
currently at the National Museum of American Art in Washington D.C. Thayer 
was Fuertes' mentor and friend of Knight and was the author (with son, 
Gerald) of _Concealing-Coloration in the Animal Kingdom_ (1909), a classic on 
the subject. There are several beautiful color reproductions in this magazine 
article. 
  I'd like to see some dinosaur restorations where the animals blend into 
their environment more than one normally sees. Barnes and Noble carries this 
pub. Dan Varner.