Edward Lear is one of the greatest ornithological artists of all time. His contributions to John Gould's work Birds of Europe included the most eye-catching subjects in the book:, cranes, pelicans,, swans, and flamingos.

Lear's plates are from bird drawings that 'are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, [for] it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm' (Hyman).

'He introduced a sense of subtlety and freedom into her drawings where previously she had only mimicked the technique used in etching or engraving. There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that made the works of Gould into a success and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration' (Tree).

Hand-coloured lithographed plate, heightened with gum arabic; framed and glazed, overall dimensions: 453 mm x 614 mm x 40 mm.

Anker 169; Fine Bird Books, p.77; Nissen IVB 371; Sauer 2; Wood, p.364; Zimmer, p.251.