Seven original watercolors of birds and animals.
1810. No date [circa 1810-1825].
7 original watercolors on individual sheets (c.180 x 220 mm), handwritten notes in ink on versos recording the name of the animal in English, French and Latin, and, in some cases, comments on its appearance and habits, matted alike. Marginal browning, seemingly caused by the mats, images lightly toned, very good.
§ Apparently amateur copies of (or possibly original sketches for?) illustrations from natural history colorplate periodicals. Three of the paintings relate to identified engravings: (1) Striped-cheeked hummingbird, c.f. The naturalists' miscellany... Vol.13 (facing G2), (2) Tamatia macrorhychos (Greater pied puff-bird), c.f. Swainson's Zoological Illustrations... Vol II 1821-22, Plate 99. and (3) Fringilla oryzivora (Paddy bird, Rice bird, or Java Sparrow). c.f. Swainson's Zoological Illustrations... Vol.III , 1822-3, Plate 156. No published images corresponding to the remaining four have yet been identified; unlike the three paintings above, each of these has an inked number above the image and more extensive handwritten notes on the verso: they are (with their numbering): [1.] Toco Toucan, [47.] Bradypus Sloth, [52.] Blue tailed crow, [58.] Nine banded armadillo. The sheet bearing the Toucan contains a fleur-de-lis watermark dated 1813. The quality of the seven images varies from somewhat crude to quite skilled. Intriguing. Item #122714
Price: $975.00