A COLLECTION OF 44 WATERCOLORS OF BIRDS AND ANIMALS

Joseph Wolf (1820-1899), Joseph Smit (1836-1929), Johannes Geradus Keulemans (1842-1912) and Marie-Firmin Bocourt (b. 1819).

A collection of 44 watercolors of Birds and Animals
ca. 1835

A collection of 44 watercolors of birds and animals including: Lophura sp. (Nepal Kalij); Tamandura tetradactyl (Lesser Anteater); Orycteropus afer (Aaardvark); Ailurus fulgeus (Red Panda); Gallinula sp. (Moorhen); and Pitta sp. variously signed and dated ‘J.Wolf.1869’ (lower right) (3); ‘J.Wolf’ (lower centre) (4); ‘J.Wolf 1862’ (lower right); ‘J.Wolf 1860’ (lower centre); ‘J.Smit’ (lower right); ‘JGKeulemans’ (lower left) (2) ‘F.Bocourt’ (lower left) (2) pencil and watercolor, heightened with bodycolor and gum arabic, one on blue paper 7 7/8 x 10 in. and smaller, the album 11 x 9 in., overall; and two photographs of hippopotami. Album bound in green cloth. Watercolors loosely laid in. Some have Philip Sclater ownership stamp on corner.
Provenance: Philip Lutley Sclater.

Philip Lutley Sclater (1829-1913) was secretary of the Zoological Society of London, from 1859 to 1902 and editor of The Ibis. He was a prolific author of learned papers and published many books, for which he commissioned illustrations from artists such as Wolf, Smit, Keulemans and Bocourt. It has not been possible to relate the watercolors in the present group to exact plates but they are likely to have been produced for publications such as Transactions of the Zoological Society, London, 1835.