Date of Printing: 1766 • Medium: Copperplate Engraving (hand colored) • Subject Category: Natural History - Birds • Signed: Plate signed, Lower Left • Period Created: Enlightenment (1700 - 1799) • Plate Size HxWxD cm: 40 x 32 • Leaf Paper Size HxW cm: 54 x 35.5 • Style: FOLIO Original Vintage • Print on Verso: Blank on verso • Condition: Very Good, some slight foxing in margins • Edition Type: 1st Edition - Limited • Paper Type: Laid Paper • Framed: Print only
Meticulously hand-coloured copperplate engraving of the Buzzard (Buteo buteo) from Thomas Pennant's famous work, "The British Zoology", published in 1766. This is a rare print drawn by Charles Collins, and etched by P. Mazell.
"Charles Collins' drawings were used sparingly -- unfortunately, as his birds are lively creatures, much nearer in style and vivacity to Barlow's than those of Pennant's other painters...He issued a set of prints that reproduced twelve of his paintings of Brithish birds, ...which are extremely rare today. His common buzzard (Buteo buteo) in Pennant's British Zoology of 1766 is particularly fine." (p. 108, "Bird Etchings", Jackson)
This originally hand-colored, folio bird engraving is from Thomas Pennant's "The British Zoology." The work was published in 1766 in London byJ. and J. March. The drawings were by P. Paillou, G. Edwards, et. al. and the etchingsby P. Mazell.
Thomas Pennant was a leading naturalist in England in the 18th century. He was a fellow of the Royal Society and counted amongst his confidants Carl Linnaeus and Sir Joseph Banks. Pennant's work was noted as the first to publish color illustrations of birds in a work that attempted to describe all of the British species, many life-size. The mammals included in the work was also a rare occurance for an 18th century work.
Condition of Plate: Very Good. Minor toning at extreme edges. Some slight foxing in margins.