(Discounted) Edward Lear, Palaeornis Alexandri, Alexandrine ring Parrkeet. Lizars c1836.

by Lizars, William Home

Small antique print of lovely Asian Alexandrine Parrot.

Original hand-coloured steel engraving by eminent Edinburgh engraver William Home Lizars (1788-1859) after a drawing by Edward Lear for Scottish naturalist, Sir William Jardine's Naturalist's Library, Parrots by John Selby, published in London c1836. Jardine employed W.H. Lizars to engrave, hand-colour and publish finely detailed illustrations of wildlife. They stand out beautifully against their uncoloured backgrounds, and are some of the finest small nature portraits ever produced.

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

Much reduced in price, this page is nearly 200 years old, is slightly soiled, close-cropped at right and base when published, and has a central vertical fold. It is still a beautiful little illustration of this beautiful parrakeet. This page is nearly 200 years old and is slightly age-discoloured. The page size is 17 x 10cm (6.6 x 4 inches)