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.
$600Sale Price|20% Off
Original Pastel Drawing "Le Pont de Passes Grilles" by George Wharton Edwards
By George Edwards
Located in San Diego, CA
Original pastel and graphite drawing "Le Pont de Passes Grilles" by George Wharton Edwards, circa early 1900s. The drawing is in good antique co...
Crayon
Willy Eisenschitz Original pastel
Located in Encino, CA
Willy Eisenschitz, "Provence View", "Paysage de Provence" Pastel on paper Measures: H 23" 1/2 x 30" 1/2 x 1/2" with frame H 17" 3/4 x 23" 3/4 (visibl...
Paper
$1,760Sale Price|20% Off
H 20.5 in W 12 in D 0.1 in
"Standing Male Nude, " Pastel Drawing by Allyn Cox, US Capitol Muralist
By Allyn Cox
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Beautifully executed in warm, roseate colors -- coral, terra cotta, brick and ivory -- this drawing was made by Allyn Cox, probably as a study for one of many murals he was commissioned to paint at the US Capitol...
Paper
$2,750
H 24 in W 18 in D 0.1 in
"Contemplation, " Brilliantly-Hued Pastel Drawing of Standing Male Nude by Cox
By Allyn Cox
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Sensuous and vividly-hued, this pastel drawing of a standing male nude with his head resting against the wall was made by Allyn Cox, son of the famous muralist Kenyon Cox...
Paper
Drawing by Jean-Baptiste Le Prince, 1760
By Jean Baptist Le Prince
Located in Kinderhook, NY
A black ink and sepia wash drawing by French artist Jean-Baptiste Le Prince of a classical scene of Roman soldiers with camel signed and dated lower left. T...
Glass, Giltwood, Paper
$1,231
H 33.5 in W 25.5 in D 0.59 in
Pastel and Pencil Aviation Drawing by Riccardo Cavigioli Depicting an Albatros
By Riccardo Cavigioli
Located in Milan, IT
Pastel and pencil drawing by Riccardo Cavigioli depicting a single-seat biplane fighter Albatros DV A, employed since July 1917 and produced in numerous exemplars till May 1918. Airc...
Paper
$416
H 23.75 in W 31.5 in D 0.79 in
WWI Antique Aircraft Water-Color and Pastel Drawing by Riccardo Cavigioli
By Riccardo Cavigioli
Located in Milan, IT
Drawing in mixed technique, water-color and pastel depicting a WWI airplane, by Riccardo Cavigioli. Measure with frame cm 80x60.3. Riccardo Cavigioli was born in Milan on 10th Nov...
Paper
$103
H 16.93 in W 20.87 in D 1.58 in
Vintage Original 'Life Drawing' Nude Pen and Ink Wash by Wendy de Rusett, 1970s
Located in Bristol, GB
Vintage Original Drawing Depicting a Life Drawing Class An accomplished work that successfully brings out the character of both the sitters and artists in a life drawing class. Exe...
Paper, Glass
Vintage Warren Fischer Abstract Pastel Drawing on Paper
By Warren Fischer
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Warren Fischer abstract pastel drawing on paper. Offered for sale is a 1990s original abstract pastel drawing from the late artist's personal portfolio. The drawing is on ...
Paper
Vintage Warren Fischer Abstract Pastel Drawing on Paper
By Warren Fischer
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Warren Fischer Abstract pastel drawing on paper Offered for sale is an original 1990s Warren Fischer abstract pastel drawing from the late artist's personal portfolio. The...
Paper
Warren Fischer Abstract Pastel Drawing on Paper
By Warren Fischer
Located in Miami, FL
Warren Fischer Abstract Pastel Drawing on Paper Offered for sale is a 1990s Warren Fischer abstract pastel drawing on paper with bold colors and great movement. The work is from t...
Paper
Glamorous Woman with Dogs, Pastel Drawing by artist T Cart
Located in Pomona, CA
Pastel drawing of a glamorous woman sitting with three small adorable dogs on her side.
Paper
$4,581Sale Price|30% Off
H 22.45 in W 15.36 in D 1.19 in
Reflections of Gisele, a Pastel by M. de Bever de la Quintinie, Paris, c.1900
Located in Langweer, NL
The drawing is a pastel work from the late 19th or early 20th century and it features a female nude seated in a chair smoking a cigarette. It is titled "Gisele." The artist's signature on the piece is "M. van Bever de la Quintinie." The technique used here is pastel drawing, a medium where artists use sticks of pigment to create various hues on paper. The nature of pastel allows for soft textures and subtle blending of colors, which is evident in the gentle gradations on the figure's skin and the velvet texture of the seat. The model used named 'Gisele' could potentially refer to the remarkable lady by the name of Gisèle d'Estoc. Gisèle d’Estoc was the pseudonym of a nineteenth-century French woman writer and, it turns out, artist who, among other things, was accused of being a bomb-planting anarchist, the cross-dressing lover of writer Guy de Maupassant, and the fighter of at least one duel with another woman, inspiring Bayard’s famous painting on the subject. The true identity of this enigmatic woman remained unknown and was even considered fictional until recently, when Melanie C...
Paper
18th Century Hand Colored Engravings by George Edwards, Set of 2
By George Edwards
Located in Ross, CA
Set of two hand colored engravings by George Edwards (English, 1694-1773). Professionally framed and matted in linen.
Paper
A Well-Executed Set of Hand-Colored Bird Engravings by George Edwards
By George Edwards
Located in San Francisco, CA
A well-executed set of 5 English hand-colored bird engravings by George Edwards; later french mattes and custom giltwood frames