Shaw and Nodder
George Shaw 1751-1813, Frederick Nodder fl.1773-c.1800
The Naturalist's Miscellany, written by George Shaw and illustrated by Frederick Nodder, was a huge work that extended from 1789 to 1813. The prints and text were issued in monthly groups, incorporating a wide range of fish, insects, birds, mammals, reptiles and crustacea as well as botanical, microscopic and deep sea marine life discovered by naturalists and explorers around the world, particularly in and around Australia, New Zealand and the South Seas. Many natural curiosities were discovered, described and illustrated in this publication. More than 1,000 species were featured.
George Shaw was a medical practitioner and a lecturer in botany at Oxford University, a founder of the Linnean Society of London and keeper of the Natural History Section of the British Museum.
Frederick Polydore Nodder was a British natural history artist who illustrated both plants and animals. He was the engraver for most of the work. After his death in 1800, however, his son Richard continued the project. The Naturalist's Miscellany is notable for the striking visual appeal of its plates. They are copper plate engravings on strong, soft Whatman paper, hand-coloured using a combination of watercolour and layered gouache. The colours are vivid and beautiful and many of the subjects are imbued with distinctive, whimsical personalities.
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