The Guinea Parrakeet or Red-Headed Lovebird

Print Author & Artist: George Shaw and Frederick Nodder

Date: 1790

Style: Hand-Coloured Copper Engraved Plates

Paper Size: Approximately 23cm x 14cm or 9" x 5.5" 

Condition: Very good to excellent. Minor imperfections may be present due to age. Please examine the image carefully and contact us with any questions. 

Description

George Shaw (1751-1813), a prominent figure in the scientific community, enjoyed a diverse career.  After practicing medicine, he lectured on botany at Oxford University and later became Keeper of the natural history department at the British Museum.  A member of both the Linnean and Royal Societies, Shaw also authored several significant works, including Zoology of New Holland (1794), General Zoology or Systematic Natural History (1809-1826), and the renowned Naturalist's Miscellany: or, Coloured Figures of Natural Objects; Drawn and Described Immediately from Nature (1789-1813).

For the Naturalist's Miscellany, Shaw collaborated with the talented illustrator and engraver, Frederick Polydore Nodder (1770-1800). Nodder's exquisite hand-colored plates brought the natural world to life, a stark contrast to the often dry and lifeless depictions prevalent at the time. His artistry and skill in copperplate engraving endowed the illustrations with a remarkable realism, making them highly sought after by collectors today.  As these original plates become increasingly scarce, their value continues to rise.