Lizars Pheasant Phasianus versicolor (female). Diard's Pheasant (Female). Engraving c1840

by Lizars, William Home

Antique print of Pheasant Phasianus versicolor (Diard's pheasant - female). Diard's Pheasant, male, is next item. 

Beautiful fine original hand-coloured steel engraving by Edinburgh engraver William Home Lizars (1788-1859) for Gallinacea, or Game Birds of the World by Ogilvy Grant. Published circa 1840 for Sir William Jardine's 'Naturalist's Library'. Naturalist Sir William Jardine (1800-1847) for “The Naturalist’s Library” to provide affordable representations of all fauna in appropriate settings. Under the guidance of eminent naturalists, for this ‘Library’ Lizars produced over 1,200 beautiful engravings that are considered to be some of the finest natural history miniatures ever produced. The fauna of each engraving has been coloured, but the background has been left with black printing ink only, which greatly enhances the charm of each individual study.

This beautiful little ornithological engraving measures 18 x 11cm (7 x 4.5 inches). It has been mounted in 'antique white' matt board and covered with cellophane for protection. The external measurement of the mount is 22 x 28cm (8.6 x 11 inches). To give you the best possible detail of the bird we have scanned only the image.