# Pelikanen in Artis

- By: Jan van Essen (Amsterdam, 1854–1936)
- Date: 1880
- Medium: paper, watercolor (paint), chalk
- Classification: drawing
- Dimensions: height 253 mm x width 355 mm
- Museum: [Rijksmuseum](https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/object/RP-T-1957-295--a6f7f8f1341ba990d9f8d135d1b5f700)
- Rights: [Public Domain Mark](http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/)
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/web/c1df55bfaaa4c3504ec9c44b2a3b99e8.jpg
- Who can see it: Little Ones profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

The Amsterdam artist Jan van Essen took the tram daily to Artis to study the animals. He was especially fond of the lions and large birds, such as pelicans, vultures and marabous. The sketches he made on the spot served as models in composing his paintings. He also derived inspiration from the work of the British artist and sculptor John Macallan Swan.