Description This print shows a view on a bird called Spur-winged Water-Hen of Brazil. The plate shows the name of the bird in German, Latin and French. Made by Johann Sebastian Leitner after George Edwards. Medium: etching with original hand colouring on handlaid (verge) paper. Watermark: yes, Dutch. Sheet size: 27.2 x 43.2 cm (10.71 x 17.01 inch). Image size: 19.5 x 26 cm. (7.68 x 10.24 inch). Condition: good, given age. Creases. Brown spots. General age-related toning and/or occasional minor defects from handling. Please study scan carefully. ANIMAL-BIRD-BRASIL-SPUR WINGED WATERHEN | RBOS-A11-04 BACKGROUND INFORMATION This attractive print was edited by Johann Michael Seligmann (1720-1762) for ‘A Natural History of Uncommon Birds..’, which was considered to be the most comprehensive natural history book of the 18th century with over 400 prints. The first edition was published 1743 ? 1751, with editions in French (1768-76) and Dutch (1772-81). see Fine Bird Books, p93. Biography engraver: Johann Sebastian Leitner (1715-1795. Biography artist: Edwards was an English draughtsman and etcher who served his apprenticeship in London, and visited the Netherlands, France and Norway. He became the Librarian to the Royal College of Physicians and was later elected a Fellow both of the Royal Society and the Society of Arts. He had a keen interest in observing birds and was one of the most imminent ornithologists of his time.
