Birds: The Art of Ornithology

by Jonathan Elphick

Bird art through the ages featuring outstanding ornithological artists whose images are archived in the Natural History Museum in London. The detailed text moves between ornithological science, art history, biography and travel.

Genres: Birds, Art, Nonfiction, Nature, Animals, Reference, History

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

Jonathan Elphick is a British natural history writer, editor, ornithologist, and zoologist known for his extensive work on birds, conservation, and the cultural history of ornithology. Raised in North Wales, he developed an early fascination with birdlife and later earned a zoology degree from University College, Swansea. After working as an in-house natural history editor for several publishers, including Dorling Kindersley, he became a freelance specialist focusing primarily on birds and wildlife. Elphick has written, edited, or contributed to numerous acclaimed titles including The Birdwatcher's Handbook, Birds: The Art of Ornithology, The Natural History Museum Atlas of Bird Migration, and Birds Britannica. His work combines scientific research, conservation, art history, travel, and field observation. A Fellow of both the Zoological Society of London and the Linnean Society of London, he has also collaborated on international conservation and publishing projects exploring humanity's relationship with birds across cultures worldwide.

Reviews

[Colleen]

This is a truly beautiful book. The art is all beautiful and the short biographies of the artists just leave you wanting more.The only thing missing was a little more information on the birds themselves, but that was not the purpose of this book, so might as well say, it’s perfect

[Megan]

This was a very enjoyable book, with an abundance of beautiful artwork throughout. I enjoyed reading the artists' biographies and learning about the historical development of techniques in ornithological art. I gave 4 stars because there were several occasions where the author wrote high praises for some artist or another, but there were no examples of his work in the book. I'm sure that was due, at least in some cases, to copyright issues or something like that, but it was disappointing.

[Nate]

Great book! Beautiful illustrations, lots of information about the artists. My only objection is that they often talk about artists and their work, praising it up and down, but don't give any actual examples of their art. There were a couple instances where they talked about an artist, and then showed a painting by his father/daughter/wife but none by the artist himself! So I'm happy we have Google, which I can use to look up these artists.

Also, not a big deal, but I think they could've chosen a better example of the work of Charles Tunnicliffe. I have another book by him, full of beautiful illustrations, and I was kind of disappointed by the painting they chose in this book.

But other than these minor objections, this book is fabulous! It's taught me a ton about famous artists, plus introducing me to lots of new ones. I learned that Edward Lear was a very talented artist too, not just a poet, and now I want to try lithography! All-around wonderful book.

[Kathy Piselli]

History of art, history of graphic arts, early illustrated book production, lives of individual artists including anonymous Indian artists (one of whom signs his name in perfect Arabic script which reads much better than the grotesque transliteration Khuleelooddeen), the self-taught sailor George Raper, and several female artists, natural history, lots about ornithology, and the superiority of illustration over photography, at least for bird identification books. Beautifully illustrated from the collections of the Natural History Museum in London.

[David Dâng]

鸟画的过去。
2019-12-08@秋葉原BOOKOFF

[Marianne]

The writing was perfectly competent but the paintings were a deep joy. I kind of wish there had been more paintings and less writing...

[Maris]

Okay, okay, I admit: I haven't actually read this yet. I've just looked at the pictures & their captions, and boy! what an awesome collection of pictures!

[Armatstorage]

I love this book. I love birds. A little more personal anecdotes would be nice like where birds were seen and by whom(: 323 pages. (It's a small-sized fatter book with tiny printing.)

[Michael]

A readable, beautifully illustrated survey of bird art in the English-speaking world, focussing mainly on the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Elphick is a fine writer, the plates are handsome, and the included bird prints are stunning also.

Elphick’s approach is to sketch the life and work of the major painters, engravers, and lithographers he admires. He traces the evolution of bird art from its fanciful and symbolic medieval beginnings to its more scientific and illustrative function today. He comments on how changes in print manufacture and styles of ornithological method have altered bird art, and demonstrates good knowledge of quite a range of different fields.

At times I felt that the book spent too long describing the lives of the artists, and not enough time explaining how styles of bird art have changed. Particularly in the final chapter, the book becomes a kind of honour roll, a series of mini-biographies in which each person is said to be one of the “finest” or “greatest” bird painters ever to live in Britain or America. Elphick does have thoughtful things to say about the structure of a painting, and make many parenthetical remarks about different traditions in China, India and the West. These passages could have been expanded.

All that said, it is an enchanting book. Art or bird lovers will enjoy it in equal measure.