Author(s): Jonathan Elphick

Science & Natural History | Summer Reading Guide 2017/18

Jonathan Elphick tells the remarkable story of the development of bird art through the centuries. The book features early, skilfully executed but often fanciful images of birds, scientific illustrations produced during the ages of exploration, and modern approaches capturing the essence of these freest of all creatures. The outstanding selection of images from the unrivalled collection at the Natural History Museum includes exquisitely crafted works from some of the most famous natural history artists ever published including Audubon, Lear, MacGillivray, and Gould. A detailed, lively text, interweaves ornithological science, art history, biography and travel and provides fascinating insights into the lives of both the artists and the birds they painted.