Yellow-Crowned Bishop (Euplectes Afer)
1827. Pencil drawing, signed and dated “2nd March 1827” with faint annotations lower centre and right, exhibition label on backing, 25.2 x 19.1cm. Repaired tear to right edge and old creases to corners, slight soiling and foxing. Laid down on acid-free paper hinged to old backing board. Annotations include “Drawn from nature...” and an extended annotation which appears to have been erased or faded. Label includes “Folio Fine Art Ltd, 6 Stratford Place, London W1” with incorrect attribution to “John William Lewin.” The watercolour for this study of an African bird was sold in 2017 by UK auction house with the erroneous caption “Rice Finch.” To date, this image has not been published. Thomas Lewin was “one of a family of bird artists who worked at the highest level. His father, William Lewin, published The Birds of Great Britain, with Their Eggs, Accurately Figured (1795–1801), in which Thomas' first signed work appeared; his brother, John William Lewin, published Birds of New Holland (1804–1808), to which Thomas contributed the preface…The Lewins as a family are remarkable for the emphasis they placed on original drawings…” Ref: Wiki; Christies (London), 30.4.1997, lot description for album of 143 bird images drawn by Thomas Lewin during 1825 to 1831, GBP 133,500.
Item #CL205-4
Price (AUD): $4,400.00 other currencies