Plyctolophus Leadbeateri, Tricolour-crested Cockatoo (Major Mitchell's Cockatoo) c1836.

by Lear, Edward

Leadbeater's Cockatoo, Native of New Holland antique print. (Now, Lophochroa Leadbeateri.)

Fine original hand-coloured steel engraving by William Home Lizars (1788-1859) after a drawing by Edward Lear who assisted John Selby with illustrations for his work on Parrots for Sir William Jardine's Naturalist's Library, published in London c1836. Sir William Jardine (1800-1847) was a Scottish ichthyologist and ornithologist who combined the talents of acknowledged naturalists in each field to illustrate birds, animals, fish and insects. From their drawings W.H. Lizars engraved each finely detailed specimen in its natural habitat. Only the major subject was hand-coloured with watercolour. With the background left uncoloured, the small nature portraits engraved by Lizars after Lear, are some of the finest ever produced - a perfect combination of science and art.

Edward Lear (1812-1888) was a scientific artist for the Zoological Society in London from 1832. He was the first eminent artist to draw fauna from life rather than stuffed skins. Between 1830 and 1832 Lear painted and lithographed parrots for his publication, Illustrations of the family Psittacidae, or Parrots - which resulted in his being elected an associate of the Linnaean Society. Edward Lear apparently said that if there was such a thing as reincarnation he would surely return as a parrot.  

This page is nearly 200 years old and is slightly age-discoloured as is to be expected. Size: 10 x 17cm (4 x 6.6 inches)