From the famed George Edwards' 18th century collection "A Natural History of Uncommon Birds" (1743-1751) and "Gleanings of Natural History" (1758-1764), comes this beautifully drawn & engraved classic composition of a Bird of Prey with a snake in its talons.
It's a symbolic theme that goes back to ancient times, reprised by more modern artists includuing Audubon, here revisited in the form in this classic work of batural history by Edwards.
It's a gorgeous engraving, I've had the hand-colored version, but was glad to collect a rare un-colored one which shows clearly the wondrous detail carved into copper by Barlow.
The Volumes:
This two-volume collection which includes "A Natural History of Uncommon Birds" (1743-1751) and "Gleanings of Natural History" (1758-1764), represents an extensive catalog of both common and exotic avian species, depicted in meticulous etchings. Edwards' attention to detail is impressive, from the delicate plumage to the intricate beaks and claws, every aspect of the birds is painstakingly rendered. The natural habitats of the birds, their nests, and often their eggs or prey, are also illustrated, providing an encompassing view of their life.
Edwards' work is not just visually stunning; it is also scientifically significant. Each etching is accompanied by a thorough description, noting the bird's behaviors, diet, habitat, and any other observations Edwards made during his studies. These were some of the most comprehensive studies of bird species of his time and have contributed greatly to the field of ornithology.
This edition serves not just as a book but as a work of art, a scientific ledger, and a historical document. It represents a seminal period in the exploration and documentation of the natural world,
The Artist:
George Edwards FRS (3 April 1694 – 23 July 1773) was an English naturalist and ornithologist, known as the "father of British ornithology". Over a period of 21 years, Edwards published seven volumes containing descriptions and hand-coloured etchings of birds. In a few cases, he depicted other animals. None of the species were native to the British Isles. The first four volumes were published between 1743 and 1751 with the title A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. The three subsequent volumes were published between 1758 and 1764 with the title Gleanings Of Natural History. The volumes contain a total of 362 hand-coloured etchings of which 317 depict birds. The etchings were all drawn by Edwards. He numbered the plates consecutively through the seven volumes.
The Plates & Technique:
Line-engraving or Copperplate engraving is a highly exacting & labor-intensive process for intaglio printmaking. The original drawing is cut into the surface of a copper or steel plate with a hand-held sharp steel point or burin, with shading created by many fine cut lines, or hatching. Before printing takes place, the plate is heated, covered with ink. The warm ink seeps into the finest of depressions and fills the lines and textures of the drawing. The rest of the plate is cleaned off. The copper plate is now pressed with a printing press on to moistened paper which soaks up the ink from the depressions in the plate. The copperplate-engraving technique is very exacting, time-consuming and exhausting for the engraver, who needs a lot of strength for it.
Every part of these prints was made by hand: Hand drawn & engraved on Copper or steel which was hand-mined, smelted & rolled, printed onto handmade cotton rag paper, inked & colored with hand-ground pigments individually by hand, & they were usually hand sewn into handmade leather-bound books.
Condition:
Excellent condition, almost pristine, an exceptionally well-preserved plate.
These prints are often very old & may have minor imperfections expected with age, such as some typical age-toning of the paper, oxidation of the old original watercolors, spots, text-offsetting, artifacts from having been bound into a book & handled, etc. Occaisionally a gallery or dealer in the past would lightly pencil an inventory note on the back or in a margin on the sheet. Please examine the photos & details carefully.
Text Page(s): This one comes without original text pages.
Size: 8-1/4" x 5" approximately.
Combined Shipping:
Yes! Multiple prints can be combined into one package. Larger prints may need to be shipped in tube. eBay should auto-combine your items if you put all of your selections into your shopping cart & check out all together as one order. If you purchase them individually, eBay charges shipping on each, which I then will need to refund after. If you're assessed multiple shipping charges for one combined package, I will endeavor to refund any overage asap.
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Please note: The information I've included in this listing is based on my best research & observations as an enthusiast of these works, not a professional historian of antiquarian books & prints. I do like to offer some background information readily available to me but make no claims representations of total accuracy. I also sometimes offer my own perceptions, appreciations, observations, opinions & regard for these works, which are my own, & not to be construed as definitive, scholarly statements. Any corrections or further information you might offer would certainly appreciated! The scans in the images are my best efforts to accurately show the item. Antique prints & old paper are notoriously tricky to scan accurately. In my experience, scanners tend to be thrown off by the off-whites & gradations in age-toned paper. If the scanner produces a scan that's too dark or too brown, etc, I'll often try to reasonably color-correct to represent the print as accurately as possible. I'm not a professional in color-correcting images yet I try my best to show the print as close to the original as possible. I also find that different monitors show colors differently, & eBay's system can sometimes throw off the colors a bit in the uploaded JPEG images as they appear on their site. Thank you!