John Swatsley: Spanish Imperial Eagle

Artist: John Swatsley
1937 -
Nationality: American
Artwork Year: 1985
Image Size: 11.5 by 14 inches
Overall Size: 18 by 20.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic on Cold Press Illustration Board

The eagle is truly one of the most majestic of all birds. Even early man was awed and inspired by the eagle. The symbol used by the Sumerian city of Lagash in three thousand B.C. was an eagle, which was engraved on the tablets and seals of the leaders and was carried as a military standard by the army. The eagle also appeared on the seals of early Kings as well as on ancient coins. The early Greeks considered the eagle a messenger of Zeus and it was supposedly the only bird allowed to live in heaven. This was perhaps because of the eagle's ability to soar out of sight, or, in the minds of the Greeks, to heaven. One of the Greek myths also tells of the young shepard boy, Ganymede, who was carried off to Mount Olympus to serve as cupbearer to the gods. To this day, eagles are used as symbols of pride and nobility. The beautiful Spanish Imperial Eagle depicted on this First Day Cover, is one of the smaller of the eagles. It lives in densely wooded areas and feeds on small animals like rabbits and squirrels. Unfortunately, because of both destruction of its natural habitat and overhunting, the Spanish Imperial Eagle is now extremely rare.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood® First Day Cover for the U.S. 14¢ Official Mail stamp issued January 29, 1985.

Artwork Copyright © 1985 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): XB09485

US$ Price: $2,000.00

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