Birds The Art Of Ornithology

A beautifully illustrated history of bird art. Painting birds in the wild presents one of the most difficult challenges for an artist. The subject is usually in constant motion, is intricately detailed, and can fly away at a moment's notice. Birds tells the remarkable story of the development of bird art through the ages. From the skillfully executed, decorative but often fanciful, early images of birds through the Age of Exploration to the present day, this book examines this fantastically vibrant art and science. The book presents an outstanding selection of images -- some never before published -- from the unrivalled collection of The Natural History Museum in London, the world's most significant repository of natural science specimens and original artworks. Birds features exquisitely illustrated original artworks from the most renowned ornithological artists who served both art and science with their work: Audubon Gould MacGillivray Bauer. Braving the elements from pole to pole, these intrepid artists traveled to the most remote territories of the world to find and paint the most exotic birds in their natural habitats. The images are complemented by detailed text that interweaves ornithological science, art history, biography, travel and other aspects of the subject to paint a vivid portrait of the artists and the birds they painted. Birds is a landmark book for bird enthusiasts, naturalists, history buffs and art lovers.Elphick, Jonathan is the author of 'Birds The Art Of Ornithology', published 2004 under ISBN 9781552979655 and ISBN 1552979652.