George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Known today as the Father of British Ornithology, George Edwards was a draftsman and naturalist who popularized the art of bird and animal illustrations throughout the 18th century. His main collections of etchings, which were bound as the volumes A Natural History of Uncommon Birds and Gleaning of Natural History, together comprise more than 600 animals and were the first works to delineate many of the featured species.
Edwards cultivated an interest in natural history while traveling around Europe, becoming particularly enamored with birds. Upon his return to the United Kingdom, in 1733, Irish physicist Hans Sloane, an acquaintance of British naturalists/illustrators Eleazar Albin and Mark Catesby, offered Edwards a librarian position at the Royal College of Physicians. The job granted him access to a large collection of works on natural history, which he explored enthusiastically.
With instruction from Catesby, Edwards learned etching and spent much of his time preparing plates and drawings for his books. While Edwards hand-colored his early editions, later works were colored in by other artists, like British artist Peter Paillou, allowing Edwards to focus on etching and writing.
George Edwards earned his reputation for both his illustrations and written descriptions of his subjects — widely acclaimed for their accuracy. Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus cited Edwards’s texts when developing his major work, Systema Naturæ. The Royal Society in London awarded Edwards the Copley Medal in 1750 for outstanding achievement in the field of science. Edwards retired in 1763 to Plaistow, England, and died in 1773.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of George Edwards engravings and wall decorations.
Mid-18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Laid Paper
18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Engraving, Watercolor
1740s Old Masters George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Intaglio, Engraving, Laid Paper, Watercolor
1740s Old Masters George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Intaglio, Engraving, Laid Paper, Watercolor
18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Etching, Watercolor
1740s George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Paper
1740s George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Paper
18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Etching, Watercolor
Mid-18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Laid Paper
19th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Lithograph
1740s Academic George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Watercolor, Engraving
Mid-18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Etching
1740s Academic George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Engraving
18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Etching, Watercolor
18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Etching, Watercolor
1990s Contemporary George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Lithograph
2010s Realist George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Digital Pigment, Permanent Marker, Laid Paper
1830s Naturalistic George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Lithograph
1830s Victorian George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Engraving, Aquatint, Watercolor, Intaglio, Rosewood
1790s Old Masters George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Engraving, Paper, Etching, Aquatint
1830s Victorian George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Watercolor, Engraving, Aquatint, Intaglio
1990s Contemporary George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Canvas
1990s Modern George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Lithograph
1770s Baroque George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Watercolor, Handmade Paper, Etching, Intaglio
1950s Abstract George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Laid Paper, Engraving, Pencil
1990s Contemporary George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Lithograph
18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Watercolor, Etching
1740s George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Paper
1740s George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Paper
1740s George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Paper
18th Century Naturalistic George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Watercolor, Engraving, Paper
18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Watercolor, Etching
18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Watercolor, Etching
Mid-18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Etching
Mid-18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Etching
Mid-18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Etching
Mid-18th Century George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Laid Paper
1760s George Edwards Prints and Multiples
Engraving