Mark Catesby's Natural History of America : The Watercolors from the Royal Library Windsor Castle
by Henrietta McBurney
From Library Journal
"McBurney, deputy curator of the Print Room at the Royal Library, Windsor Castle, presents new research on the watercolors of Mark Catesby (1682-1749), a British artist and naturalist. His Natural History (1729-49) was the first comprehensive study of the flora and fauna of the eastern coast of North America. Published here for the first time are the original watercolors, having undergone recent conservation; from these watercolors Catesby prepared the etchings that illustrated his published volumes. McBurney gives a historical introduction to the Windsor volumes, followed by a note on the natural history albums of Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753), a Catesby patron. She then presents the catalog, which is accompanying an exhibition of selected watercolors in the United States and Britain. Each plate includes quotations drawn from Catesby's Natural History text, artist's name, titles of drawings, modern common and scientific names, and numbering and colors. McBurney's scholarship makes this handsome book an invaluable source for all fine arts/natural history collections in public and academic libraries as well as special collections. Highly recommended."
Daniel Kalk, Enfield, Ct.
Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
by Alan Feduccia (Editor), Russell W. Peterson