McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Red Backed Shrike
Lanius collurio
Fabravery 1754 P. Paillou
Item
1 watercolour painting ; 56 x 39 cm + 1 leaf
Peter Paillou was born in London into a Huguenot family and was recognised in his own time as an eminent ‘bird painter’. In 1744 he began to paint for Taylor White and worked for him for almost thirty years, painting chiefly birds and mammals. He painted as well for Robert More, Joseph Banks, and for the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant. Many of his paintings of birds were used as the basis for book illustrations, often engraved by his colleague and fellow Huguenot, Peter Mazell. Paillou was elected to the Society of Artists and in 1763 he exhibited ‘A Piece of Birds, in Watercolours; the Hen of the Wood and Cock of the Red Game’. In 1778, to considerable approval, he also showed a picture of ‘A Horned Owl from Peru’, completely made from feathers.
Drawing of a pair of Red Backed Shrikes from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: Africa, Europe, and Central Asia].
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Fabravery 1754 P. Paillou;
Manuscript note on back of drawing: Lanius 3tius Aldrovandus W. p. 88
Scientific name: Lanius collurio
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.