George Edwards

The rural idyll of Essex near London was the home of George Edwards. His ancestors had a good sense of finance and left George with an economically carefree future. After training as a merchant, Edwards decided to spend his days bird watching. He enjoyed travelling and expanded his knowledge with each new region of Europe he discovered. In addition, ships returning to London from faraway lands had exotic birds on board. George Edwards recognized that discovering nature also means teaching. The young ornithologist began to record his bird observations. His depictions surpassed all the illustrations known up to that point in naturalistic accuracy. With meticulousness and accuracy Edwards put his observations on paper. The natural scientist learned the art of etching and used the technique together with colourful watercolours for his enchanting bird pictures. Buyers for his paintings were soon found and other scientists became aware of his great skill.