AUTHOR: Bewick, Thomas (1753-1828) TITLE: History of British birds. The figures engraved on wood by T. Bewick... IMPRINT: Newcastle: Beilby & Bewick, 1797-1804. COLLATION: 2 v.: ill.; 24 cm. CONTENTS: 1. Containing the history and description of land birds 2. Containing the history and description of water birds. NOTES: Have complete. Vol. 2 pub. by T. Bewick. “It is mainly on this work that Bewick is best known, and mainly ‘on account of his excellent woodcuts this work passed through numerous editions’ (Wood)” - Horizon Books, catalogue no. 5 “The skillful and appealing woodcuts by Bewick here illustrate a total of 284 birds, and the vignettes and tailpieces frequently possess great charm. Roscoe says that the general standard of drawing seen in Bewick’s ‘Birds’ exceeds that of his ‘Quadrupeds’ because the artist ‘was more interested in birds than in animals, more familiar with them and their habits, and so able to put a greater power and sympathy into his figures of them. Working on birds, he was sure of himself; the figure of a bird once drawn and cut seldom needed later revision.’ Bewick had enjoyed remarkable success with his woodcut History of Quadrupeds, and as Ray says, he ‘put to good use the lessons he had learned from’ that book. In the present volumes, ‘he limited himself to British birds, which he could observe at first hand, and the scenes of English life, previously confined to tailpieces became more numerous and elaborate, more varied and poetic. The History of British Birds is consequently his masterpiece with respect both to craftsmanship and creative imagination.’ — Phillip Pirages, catalogue 45  REFERENCES: Nissen 100; Zimmer p. 58; Wood p. 236; Freeman 306. KEYWORDS: 1. Birds--Great Britain. LOCATION: QL690.G7B572 1797 OTHER CALIFORNIA LOCATIONS: Occidental College; CSU Los Angeles; CSU Long Beach; UCLA; UC Davis; UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library