Drawing of a Cougar--also known as a Mountain Lion or a Puma--from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: North America and South America.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
Paillou, Peter, approximately 1720-approximately 1790
Drawing of a pair of Java Sparrows from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: the Philippines, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and Hawaii].
Paillou, Peter, approximately 1720-approximately 1790
The Taylor White Collection is comprised of 938 watercolour paintings of mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles. White, a British jurist, commissioned various artists of the day (including Charles Collins, Peter Paillou, Jacob Van Huysum, George Edwards, and Eleazar Albin) to paint these animal portraits from live and dead specimens brought back to England from around the world. Many of the paintings are accompanied by loose-leaf manuscript notes, written mainly by White in Latin, providing further information about the animal; transcriptions and English translations of these notes have been provided within the record for each painting.