Feather and Brush: Three Centuries of Australian Bird Art

Description Feather and Brush traces the 300-year history of bird art in Australia, from the crudely illustrated records of the earliest European voyages of discovery to the diversity of artwork available today. It is a history inseparable from the development of Australian ornithology. Against a background of establishment of the country itself, naval draftsmen, convicts, officers, settlers, naturalists, artists and scientists alike contributed both to the art and to science.

Driven by the excitement of discovery and description of new and exotic birds, the illustration of Australian birds flourished in the late 18th and 19th centuries, then fell into neglect. In recent decades, increasing interest in the environment has led to a revitalisation of the art. A wealth of contemporary Australian artists has turned their attention to birds and never before has wildlife illustration been so varied and accessible.

Stunningly illustrated, Feather and Brush contains over 250 images representing 94 artists. Some are well-known, others are published for the first time. All have been carefully selected for their merit, be it ornithological, historical or artistic. The book links the greats of yesterday - including Ferdinand Bauer, Edward Lear, George Raper, John Lewin, the Goulds and the mysterious Port Jackson Painter - with some of the finest wildlife artists working in Australia today, many with an intimate knowledge of the birds in the field.