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: 42.5 x 32.5 • Leaf Paper Size HxW cm: 53.5 x 35.8 • Style: FOLIO Original Vintage • Print on Verso: Blank on verso • Condition: Very Good • Edition Type: 1st Edition - Limited • Paper Type: Laid Paper, Watermarked • Framed: Unframed
Meticulously hand-coloured, large folio copperplate engraving of a Golden Eagle Bird from Thomas Pennant's famous work, "The British Zoology", 1st Edition, published in 1766. This is a rare print drawn by Peter Paillou, and etched by P. Mazell.
Both have plate signed the print. Fine hand colour as issued by Peter Paillou.
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: Good. Minor toning at extreme edges. Some slight foxing in margins, slight fraying at extreme edges.