BIRD ARTISTS IN GERMANY BETWEEN ART AND SCIENCE

Differences in the understanding of natural arts, especially between Germany and the Anglo-American as well as the Scandinavian countries, are discussed. A very brief synopsis of the history of bird-painting is given. The oldest illustrations for scientific books date back to the end of the Middle Ages. After three centuries of a separated development of 'birds in art' and 'birds in science' the art of bird-painting began to rise by the end of the 19th century. This change did not take place in Germany where a rather static view of art defines 'art' from ''kitsch'' The present generation of German bird artists seems to be on the right way to overcome this fatal prejudice and hopefully reaches the interested public.