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Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Reindeer
General material designation
Parallel title
Reindeer
Other title information
Rangifer tarandus
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Caption title.
- Parallel titles and other title information: Title from Mousley: Rangifer tarandus
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Reference code
CA RBD MSG BW002-125
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Physical description
1 watercolour painting ; 56 x 39 cm + 1 leaf
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Name of creator
(approximately 1720-approximately 1790)
Biographical history
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.
Custodial history
Scope and content
Drawing of a Reindeer from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, and Siberia.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
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General note
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)
General note
General note
Scientific name: Rangifer tarandus
Accompanying material
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Accompanying material
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: of Deer.
The many Writers of Natural Historie have
left no subject more imperfectly treated on
then this Genus of Quadrupeds. the very
learned Lineus describes 7 Species.
The Camelo pardalis or Camel Leopard.
The Alces or Elk
The Stephus or Stag.
The Tarandus which he speaks of a Synonymous
Word with Rangifer. as described by Gesner
& Ray & the Capra Greenlandica or Greenland
Buck. described by Rai. quad. 90 & by Edw. av. 1.
t. 51. if it was not for so great an authority
I should make no doubt but that these were
3 Distinct animals. Linaeus says the
Tarandus inhabits Europe asia & America chiefly
in the Northern Parts.
5 The Dama or fallow Deer. 6. The Dorcas or Roebuck
6 the Guiniensis or Guinea Deer.
(verso)
but I am very certain by the horns as well as
live beasts brought from America that the Rain
Deer which is used in Lapland for carriage
& draft is vastly diferent from any American
Dear & that both in the Northern parts
of America & of Europe there are very
diferent species. Some having palms on the
tops of their horn & Antlers on their foreheads
others both palms and Branches or Spikes
on the tops of the Horns & Antlers next
the forehead & the Rain Deer Palms on the
sumit & next the forehead & the place of the
Antler. & this beast never changes its horn
as all others do & the female is horned.
The figure Edwards gives of the Greenland
buck difers so vastly from all the fig. I have
met with of ye Rain deer convinces me it cant be the same
animal & yet it seems to me almost impossible
that so great a man as Linaeus who lives at Stockholm
should be mistaken in this matter. he certainly
must have seen the Rain Deer.
Mammalia Pecora Cervus
Rangifer Raii quadr. 88
Accompanying material
Alternative identifier(s)
Volume number
Mammals Volume 4, Painting 5