Yellow-breasted Toucan antique print. George Edwards engraving c1759

by Edwards, George

George Edwards antique print of Yellow breasted Toucan drawn in its natural Colours from the living bird in London by G. Edwards. AD 1759.

Superb hand-coloured copperplate etched and engraved by George Edwards for the continuation of his previous natural history work, his Gleanings of Natural History Containing Figures of quadrupeds, Birds, Insects, Plants, &c. by George Edwards published in London between 1758 and 1764 by G. Sidney. Edwards's wonderful work was considered to be "One of the most important of all Bird Books, both as a fine Bird Book and a work of Ornithology." George Edwards illustrated many foreign species for the first time. Edwards etched his own plates and then hand-coloured several prints before supervising others in the colouring. His engravings have great character with strong colour, and are quite unlike any other style of illustration, before or since.

George Edwards (1694-1773), was an English draughtsman and one of the most prominent ornithologists of his time. In 1773, on the recommendation of the founder of the British Museum, Sir Hans Sloane, George Edwards was appointed Librarian to the Royal College of Physicians. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society, and of the Society of Antiquaries, London, and was honoured with the Gold Medal of the Royal Society. As the Librarian to the Royal College of Physicians he receive a small stipend which enabled him to pursue his studies and drawings of birds. For many years he was employed as a natural history painter for the founder of the British Museum, Sir Hans Sloane. 

Page size is approximately 29 x 22cm (11.3/8 x 8.5/8 inches)