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William MacGillivray
Creatures of Air, Land and Sea

Robert Ralph

An artistic and scientific equal, as well as a close friend of the famous naturalist John James Audubon, William MacGillivray painted powerful depictions of birds, fish and mammals, which remain both delightful works of art and essential tools to the science of natural history. Both artists worked to express the natural life of their subjects, depicting them in lifelike positions and often in contexts that best expressed their true habitats. MacGillivray's career expanded to the study of natural environments and he is celebrated by many as one of the first ecologists. For a variety of reasons MacGillivray's masterwork, A History of British Birds, never achieved the exposure it deserved. This beautifully designed book will be the first fully illustrated treatment of MacGillivray's art.

This book is published in the Museum's ground-breaking Art Series, which brings to light the art of pioneering natural history artists. View the William MacGillivary Art Collection online.

Published by Merrell Publishers in collaboration with the Natural History Museum. 

Key features

  • First fully illustrated treatment of MacGillivray's work
  • Work associated with that of Audubon
  • Significant both scientifically and artistically
  • Exquisitely produced
  • Art rarely seen in colour, beautifully reproduced

Contents
Edinburgh - The Athens of the North; The Path to Edinburgh - John James Audubon; The Path to Edinburgh - William MacGillivray; The 1830s - The Ornithological Biography The 1830s - MacGillivray's Amazing Decade; MacGillivray's Art; Aberdeen Again; Bibliography; List of Colour Plates with Biological Notes; Index

About the author
 Dr Robert Ralph has had a life-long interest in natural history. He graduated with a PhD in zoology and in 1967 was appointed to the staff of the Zoology Department at Aberdeen University. In 1988 he became curator of the Zoology Department Museum at Aberdeen, one of the largest of its kind in Britain. Now retired, he has remained fascinated by the man who established the museum in 1844, William MacGillivray.

About the Art Series
A series of books that brings to light, often for the first time, the artistically and scientifically fascinating painting and drawing collections of the Natural History Museum, London. Each book introduces pioneer artists whose names have until now been undeservedly little known. With splendid colour plates and a readable and scholarly commentary, other titles include:
Arthur Harry Church: The Anatomy of Flowers
Ferdinand Bauer: The Nature of Discovery
John Abbot: Birds, Butterflies and Other Wonders
Sarah Stone: Natural Curiosities from the New Worlds

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 William MacGillivray cover

Order this book from our Online Bookshop (paperback edition only)

Trade customers: order from Merrell Publishers

Individual customers: order from our Online Bookshop

Specifications

ISBN: 1 85894 088 5 (hardback)
Price: £29.95
ISBN: 1 85894 100 8 (paperback)
Price: £9.95 (normal rrp £19.95)
Size: 230 x 290 mm
Extent: 128 pp, 100 illustrations, 60 in colour
Published: September 1999
Subject classification: Art history; natural history art