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George Edwards
Set of Two Hand-Colored Ornithological Engravings by George Edwards /// Bird Art

1743-1764

About the Item

Artist: George Edwards (English, 1694-1773) Title: "Set of Two Hand-Colored Ornithological Engravings by George Edwards" Portfolio: A Natural History of Uncommon Birds, and of Some Other Rare and Undescribed Animals / Gleanings Of Natural History Year: 1743-1764 Medium: Set of Two Original Hand-Colored Engravings on watermarked laid and wove papers Limited edition: Unknown Printer: C. Rickaby, London, UK Publisher: William Gardiner and Messrs. Robinson, London, UK Reference: Mullens and Swann page 194-195; Anker No. 124-126; Fine Bird Books page 93; Lisney page 128-144; Nissen IVB No. 286-288; Zimmer page 192-198 Sheet size (each): approx. 11.25" x 9" Image size (each): approx. 8.5" x 7.13" Condition: "276" has light offsetting to sheet. "143" has light handling creases and light toning to sheet with a few small foxmarks. They are both otherwise in very good condition with strong colors Notes: Comes from Edwards seven volume portfolio "A Natural History of Uncommon Birds, and of Some Other Rare and Undescribed Animals" / "Gleanings Of Natural History" (1743-1764), which consists of 362 hand-colored engravings. "276" is on wove paper with no watermark. "143" is on laid paper with a partial "fleur-de-lis" watermark at center right edge. The last image of the cover title sheets is for reference/provenance; it is not included. Biography: George Edwards FRS (3 April 1694 – 23 July 1773) was an English naturalist and ornithologist, known as the "father of British ornithology". Edwards was born at West Ham, then in the county of Essex. In his early years, he travelled extensively through mainland Europe, studying natural history, and gained a reputation for his coloured drawings of animals, especially birds. He was appointed as beadle to the Royal College of Physicians in 1733. Over a period of 21 years, Edwards published seven volumes containing descriptions and hand-coloured etchings of birds. In a few cases, he depicted other animals. None of the species were native to the British Isles. The first four volumes were published between 1743 and 1751 with the title "A Natural History of Uncommon Birds". The three subsequent volumes were published between 1758 and 1764 with the title "Gleanings Of Natural History". The volumes contain a total of 362 hand-coloured etchings of which 317 depict birds. The etchings were all drawn by Edwards. He numbered the plates consecutively through the seven volumes.When the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition in 1758, he listed a binomial name for every plant and animal. For many of the birds he cited the description and illustration in A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. Later, when he updated the Systema Naturae for the 12th edition in 1766, he cited the Gleanings of Natural History. Edwards was elected a member of the Royal Society in 1757. He never married and died aged 79 in 1773 in Plaistow, Essex.
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