Author(s): ELPHICK JONATHAN

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.