Red-breasted Sunbird, Plate 14 from Birds of Western Africa
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Hamill and Barker
Accession Number
1961-105-172
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
William Home Lizars, a Scottish engraver and natural history illustrator, created this striking print in 1837 as Plate 14 for the publication *Birds of Western Africa*. Active during the height of 19th-century scientific exploration, Lizars specialized in detailed ornithological imagery that brought exotic species to European audiences. His work helped document the rich avian life of West Africa at a time when colonial expeditions were expanding knowledge of global biodiversity. As a print, this piece exemplifies the era’s blend of art and science, where precise rendering of plumage, posture,...