Birds
The Art of Ornithology
Jonathan
Elphick
Birds:
The Art of Ornithology is an outstanding selection
of images from the famous archive of the Natural History
Museum in London, including exquisitely crafted works
from some of the most famous natural history artists ever
published. This landmark book will fascinate anyone interested
in birds, natural history and art.
This historical survey tells the remarkable story of the
development of bird art through the ages, from the early,
skilfully executed and decorative but often fanciful,
images of birds, through the ages of exploration and increasing
knowledge of the world's avifauna, to modern approaches
to capturing the essence of these freest of all creatures
on the page or canvas.
The outstanding selection of images from the unrivalled
collection of the Natural History Museum, some of them
never reproduced before in a popular book, include exquisitely
crafted works from some of the most famous natural history
artists ever published. They are complemented by detailed,
lively text, which interweaves ornithological science,
art history, biography, travel and other aspects of the
subject to paint a vivid picture of the artists and the
birds they painted, with fascinating details of the lives
of both.
Beautifully illustrated with original artworks from some
of the most renowned artists; including Audubon, Gould,
MacGillivray, and Bauer.
Published
by Co&Bear/Scriptum Editions.
Contents
Foreword
by Robert Prys-Jones; Beginnings; Engravers and Explorers:
1650-1800; From Audubon to the First Lithographers: 1800-1850;
The Golden Age of Lithography: 1850-1890; An Age of Transition:
1890-Today; List of Illustrations; Bilbliography; Index.
About
the author
Jonathan Elphick studied zoology
at university, and since graduating has worked for 35
years as a natural history writer, editor, consultant,
lecturer and broadcaster, specialising in ornithology.
The many books and magazine articles on birds which he
has written or contributed to include a highly acclaimed
field guide to the birds of Britain and Ireland, now in
its second edition as The Birdwatchers' Handbook
(BBC Worldwide, 2001), it won Bird Watching Magazine's
1997 award for the best field guide to the birds of this
region. Jonathan, who has travelled extensively to study
birdlife, was recently elevated to Scientific Fellowship
of the Zoological Society of London in recognition of
his services in popularising zoology.
About
the collection
The Natural History Museum in London,
is a repository for some of the most significant, exciting
and comprehensive collections of natural science specimens,
original artworks and literature to be found anywhere
in the world. It holds 68 million specimens, some several
centuries old; close to half a million works of art on
paper, comprising one of Britain's biggest art collections
and representing all the great natural history artists;
and one million books, including rare, richly illustrated
antique volumes. Together they constitute an unrivalled
resource consulted daily by scientists and scholars worldwide.
Reviews
"...meticulously researched and sumptuously illustrated..."
...
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Specifications
ISBN:
1 902686 39 X
Price: £45.00
Format: Hardback
Size: 265 x 280 mm
Extent: 336 pp
Published: October 2004
Subject classification: Natural history; art; ornithology
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