A Turtle

Description

Maximilian returned to Philadelphia on July 28 and two days later set out in the direction of Bethlehem as far as the town of Freiburg. On August 1 he was joined at Freiburg by Bodmer, Dreidoppel, and Saynisch. The next day the company returned to Bethlehem and occupied the better part of the next two weeks exploring the Lehigh River and collecting specimens of aquatic life. Maximilian noted in his journal that during the afternoon of August 4, Bodmer observed large numbers of turtles on an island where he was sketching. He managed to catch several of these, including a so-called duck eater (Emys odorata) and a painted turtle (Emys picta). Bodmer's watercolor of the latter exhibits a keen eye for detail and an obvious skill in the handling of his medium.