Art of Nature is an astonishing visual record of the exploration of
parts of the natural world that had never previously been documented. It
features many of the greatest natural history artists of the last 300
years--Merian, Bartram, Ehret, the Bauer brothers, Audubon, and Gould.
Some were seeking fame as scientists or artists, others sought financial
gain or at least the prospect of earning a living in what they loved
doing. For some it also provided them with the opportunity to present
their view of nature to a wider community. Whatever the reasons, few
would have contradicted Humboldt's comment that he was "spurred on by an
uncertain longing for what is distant and unknown, for whatever excited
my fantasy: danger at sea, the desire for adventures, to be transported
from a boring daily life to a marvellous world." Continent by continent,
Judith Magee draws on the unrivaled collections of the Library of the
Natural History Museum in London to illustrate the development of
natural history art through the centuries and its crucial role in
furthering people's appreciation of nature all around the world.