Seven of the watercolors from the c.1733 portfolio represent the continent of Africa, most of which were discovered in Western Africa around the Gulf of Guinea by European explorers. Portions of this region were known for the commodities they produced such as the Gold Coast, Ivory Coast, Pepper Coast, and Slave Coast. The “Gold Coast” contains Elmina, a fort built in 1482 by Portuguese traders for the gold trade, but quickly switched purpose to export enslaved Africans through the “Door of No Return.” It is estimated that over 300,000 enslaved individuals exited the African continent through that door.
While Edwards painted and published numerous parrot species, the distinctive Grey Parrot does not appear in any of his volumes. The Grey Parrot is easy to spot with its white face and red tail feathers; found along the Gulf of Guinea, it is now an endangered species. It appears the parrot is eating cherries, but Edwards may have been attempting to depict the fruits of the African oil palm tree, the parrots’ natural food source.
Grey Parrot
George Edwards England, 1733
Watercolor on paper
Courtesy of the Collection of Deen Day Sanders
The Yellow-billed or Guinea Turaco was simply titled “Turaco” by Edwards in Volume One. He notes “these Birds are indeed Africans, brought from Guinea, by the Way of the West Indies, to us… this Bird is now living at Colonel Louther’s House in St. Jame’s Park, where I have been permitted to make Drawings of it for several Persons of Distinction.”
Yellow-billed or Guinea Turaco
George Edwards England, 1733
Watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Frank B. and Marley S. Drayton, Jr.
The male Grey Crowned-Crane is one of the male/female pairs in the portfolio; Edwards titled it: “The crowned African Crane.” George Edwards states in Volume Four of his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds, “The first of these Birds I drew at Sir Hans Sloane’s, the other at Sir Charles Wager’s…In Astley’s Collection of Voyages, I find this Bird mentioned by several Authors there collected, which proves it to be a Crane of the Rivers Gambia and Senega.” In Volume Four, Edwards painted the male and female together in one plate.
Grey Crowned-Crane
(crowned African Crane)
George Edwards England, 1733
Watercolor on paper
Lenhardt Collection of
George Edwards Watercolors at Drayton Hall
The Rosy-faced Lovebird is found further down the western coast of Africa in modern-day Namibia. While this bird does not appear in any of Edwards’ volumes, the Cleveland Museum of Art does hold another George Edwards painting of a Rosy-faced Lovebird. This bird was previously misidentified as Edwards’ “The smallest Green and Red Indian Paroquet,” but the markings, size, and shape of the bird resembles a Lovebird.
Rosy-faced Lovebird
George Edwards England, 1733
Watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Frank B. and Marley S. Drayton, Jr.
This is part of a special online exhibit titled, Flights of Fancy: An Exploration of Uncommon Birds. To view more please visit:
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