Pair on the Marsh (Open Edition)

The Story

The mallard drake's iridescent green head is one of the most recognized bird colors in the world, and yet Smith's photograph finds something genuinely fresh in the subject. The drake in full breeding plumage moves ahead of his hen, the blue-and-black speculum visible on his folded wing, his bill that clean yellow-green that tells you the season is right. The hen beside him is as precisely rendered as he is — her mottled brown the perfect duck coloration for a bird that nests on the ground. The water surface behind them is a mosaic of blue reflection and ripple that gives the composition depth and light.

The Location

Mallards are the most abundant dabbling duck in North America and a year-round presence on the Chesapeake and its tributaries. They nest throughout the watershed from the Susquehanna headwaters to the tidal marshes of the lower Bay, and their winter numbers are augmented by migrants from the northern interior. Chesapeake marshes, rivers, and impoundments support one of the largest wintering concentrations of ducks on the Atlantic Flyway. The mallard is the duck against which all others are measured.

Artist's Perspective

"Mallards are the bird everyone ignores because they're everywhere. But get one in the right light with a good background and they're one of the most beautiful ducks there is. The green on that drake's head is as good as anything in nature." — Andre Smith

Curator's Recommendation

A rich horizontal composition with the jewel-tone iridescence of the drake's plumage as its visual anchor. The water background gives this piece an impressionistic quality at distance. Works beautifully in lake houses, bay cottages, and any interior that connects to water. A natural pair with the wood duck or the tundra swan.

Print Quality

Archival-Quality Canvas, Made in the USA.

Every Chesapeake Focus print is produced on archival-grade poly-cotton canvas using UL GREENGUARD GOLD certified inks — water resistant, fade resistant, and anti-yellowing. Each canvas is hand-stretched over FSC-certified, kiln-dried stretcher bars that are knot-free and warp-free. Finished with your choice of hardwood floater frame in matte black, white, brown, or natural. Ready to hang right out of the box.