Fabel van de zwaan en de ooievaar

A standing stork gazes toward a swan resting on a nest of reeds beneath the spreading branches of a large, gnarled tree. The background features a tranquil river scene with another swan floating in the distance. This engraving is characterized by the fine, rhythmic detailing of the birds' plumage and the textured bark of the central tree.

Engraved while Sadeler was the court artist for Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, this work reflects the era's interest in the moral and symbolic interpretation of the natural world. It belongs to a tradition of animal fables where the behaviors of creatures were used as emblems for human ethics and natural philosophy within the Rudolfine circle.