Woodland scene with family of grouse (2 adults with 7 young chicks).
After Frances Flora Bond Palmer American, 1812-1876 Frances (Fanny) Palmer often created her lithographic designs from direct observation of nature and in this print her depiction of plants in the forest is almost photographic. In an expression of pride in his brood, the male grouse has puffed up his feathers. The female grouse anxiously guards her young chicks, ready to protect the family by feigning lameness if any intruder arrives. The chicks, blissfully unaware of any danger in their surroundings, feast on the plentiful strawberry plants. Currier & Ives produced a number of prints that illustrated animals, both domestic and wild, engaged in human-like behavior.
