Fort-Tailed Woodnymph - Public domain zoological illustration

Martin Johnson Heade (1819-1904) was an American painter known for his landscapes, still lifes and seascapes. He was born in Lumberville, Pennsylvania, and later moved to New York City to pursue his career as an artist. Heade's paintings often depicted tropical birds, flowers and landscapes from his travels in South America and the Caribbean. His work was influenced by the Hudson River School and the Barbizon School, but he developed his own unique style combining realism and luminism. Heade's paintings are now in many major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Gallery of Art.