Watercolor on paper. Not signed. 35x43.5 cm Sarah Stone (1760-1844) was the first British bird and animal painter to achieve professional recognition. She was responsible for illustrating the natural history collections of the first museum dedicated to natural history, the Leverian Museum in London.
STONE, Sarah (British, 1760-1844). Quetzal (Pharomachrus Mocino), also known as the Resplendent Quetzal. Watercolor on paper. Signed "Sarah Smith". 17" x 14" sheet. This is the Legendary Bird of Central America - Considered Divine by both the Ancient Aztec & Mayan cultures. Provenance: From the Estate of Patrick Dockar-Drysdale. Literature: Christine Jackson, "Natural Curiosities from the New Worlds," Watercolour Drawings by Sarah Stone in Public and private Institutions - "Private Collection A" no. 12 (pg. 131). ---------------------- The resplendent quetzal loud forest and montane forests of Central America, Southern Mexico to Panama. The boisterous loud colors of the quetzal are somewhat camouflaged by their natural habitat in the rainforest. They live in the trees that form the canopy, inhabiting decaying trees, stumps, and sometimes old woodpecker hollows. The most extravagant feature of the male quetzal is its iridescent tail plumes, which can add up to 3 ft. to the bird's length. The head, neck, chest, back and wings of the males are a metallic green, while the breast and belly are bright crimson. The male has a distinct tuft of bristly upstanding golden green feathers on top of his head, forming a crestlike structure. The feet of the quetzal are very unusual with four toes on each foot (two in front and two in back). The first and second toes have been shifted to the rear, while the third and fourth are directed forward. This makes their feet very weak and the first and second toes immovable. This bird is synonymous with the Mayan heritage and played an important role in Mesoamerican mythology. The cultural legacy continues to present day as it the national animal of Guatemala and the namesake of the country's currency - the quetzal. ------------------------- Sarah Stone is synonymous with the Lever Museum (also known as the Leicester House), a significant cultural phenomenon of 18th-century London. Sir Ashton Lever employed this fine female artist to record specimens and ethnographic material brought back by British expeditions to Australia, the Americas, Africa, and the Far East in the 1780s and 1790s- perhaps most significant being Captain Cook on his round-the-world voyages. Stone's meticulous paintings provide a unique record of the discoveries made by sailors and naturalists onboard British survey ships and the new colonies. They were also incredibly beautiful and technically accurate. Sarah's drawings' importance lies in the fact that she not only recorded so many new scientific discoveries for the first time, but she also documented them while they were still under one roof. Throughout her nearly 30 year career, she was extremely prolific, painting over 1,000 watercolors of mounted birds, mammals, fishes, insects, reptiles, shells, minerals as well as ethnographical artifacts. Consciously she was known to sign and date many of her watercolors. Lever either purchased or was gifted the first specimens ever recorded or known to science in several fields. Unfortunately, his museum no longer exists; contents dispersed in 1806. Many of its examples have been lost forever. As a result, Stone's paintings act as aesthetically beautiful works of art and provide an essential record of specimens used by naturalists in the age of Linnaeus, some of which are now extinct. Only about 900 of her paintings exist today. However, they were often requested to be engraved for illustrations in natural history publications. By 1789 she was well known in London both to the public who visited the famous Lever museum as well as to the experts of the day. They were interested in natural history and everything to do with the voyages of Captain Cook. While she painted all of her subjects with a keen eye, it was thought that her drawings of birds, in particular, showed a considerable amount of technical skill. She was self-taught, and her talents were clearly innate. However, her father was a fan painter, working somewhat in the style of the French Rococo artist Antoine Watteau. Fan painting requires superb and accurate coloring skills, and map colorists often did this intricate and delicate job. As a child, Sarah learned to use local and even household ingredients for her pigments - brickdust, or the juice of leaves or flower petals. Later, Sarah used these skills in selecting the colors prompting her to work with colors that she considered permanent: Chinese white, ivory black, burnt sienna, Vandyke brown, yellow ochre, chrome lemon and yellow, light orange cadmium, vermilion, carmine, madder lake, Veronese green, sap green, cobalt, ultramarine and Prussian blue. She also employed gum Arabic to gouache powders, and she learned to mix watercolor paint and add white for opacity and highlights. Her consistent techniques only enhanced the appearance of her artwork. Stone diligently recorded and was highly faithful (to use an 18th-century term) when she portrayed her subjects, painstakingly documenting the models in front of her. Had she employed more artistic license, some of her forms would have come across more naturalistic, but she stayed true to how the taxidermists arranged the subjects. Her works, therefore, can also be read as a historical analysis of 18th century taxidermic practices. When Sarah provided tree branches as part of her background, as we see in this fine example, they were distinctive hallmarks of her work. They were nearly depicted as pale grey or silver, like silver birch bark, with a little lichen, very delicately traced. It is clear to see how influential Sarah Stone is to the history of natural history illustration and the tremendous skill required to paint such diverse subjects, both zoological and ethnographical. This example is an extraordinary opportunity for a collector to own an original work by this esteemed artist. We can admire this piece's delicacy of the brushwork and her touch when it comes to color. The result has a brilliance and sheen that hardly reads as if it dates from the 18th century.
Sarah Stone (c. 1760–1844) A mandarin duck 370 x 295, window mounted, watercolour on paper, signed and dated lower left: S:Stone 1788 Sarah Stone (1760-1844) is one of rarest and most sought-after ornithological artists. She undertook commissions from both Sir Ashton Lever and John White, the Australian explorer and colonist. PROVENANCE: Samuel Lysons, signature on verso (possibly the antiquarian and engraver, 1763–1819) Bid on Sotheby's
Sarah Stone (British, circa 1760-1844) A Cock of the Rock ( Rupicola rupicola) Signed and dated 'Sarah Stone 1781' (centre) Watercolour 31 x 37cm (12 3/16 x 14 9/16in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Sarah Stone (British, circa 1760-1844) A Mandarin drake ( Aix galericulata) Signed and dated 'Sarah Stone 1781' (lower left) Watercolour 31 x 37cm (12 3/16 x 14 9/16in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Sarah Stone (British 1760-1844), 18th century, "Common Perth", watercolor on paper, painting depicting a bird on a branch, signed at lower left, framed. Sight h. 9.625", w. 10.25"; Overall h. 18.25", w. 20.25".
Sarah Stone (British 1760-1844), 18th century, "Skylark" watercolor on paper, painting depicting a bird on a rocky outcropping, signed at lower left, framed. Sight h. 9.25", w. 10.25"; Overall h. 18.25", w. 20.25".
Sarah Stone (British circa 1760-1844), 18th century, "Sparrow Hawk", watercolor on paper painting depicting a bird on a branch, signed at lower left, framed. Sight h. 9.75", w. 11.5"; Overall h. 18.25", w. 20.25".
Sarah Stone (British 1760-1844), 18th century, "Turner Pigeon", watercolor on paper depicting a bird on a rocky outcropping, signed lower left, framed. Sight h. 9.5", w. 10.25"; Overall h. 18.25", w. 20.25".
Sarah Stone British, 1760-1884 Black Bird on a Branch Signed Sarah Stone (ll); faintly inscribed 107 in red chalk (ll) Watercolor and pencil on paper, within painted bands suggesting a French mat The full sheet 9 3/4 x 13 1/4 inches (25 x 33.7 cm); the image 8 3/4 x 11 3/4 inches (22.3 x 30 cm) C
Sarah Stone Falco Pygargus watercolor and gouache on paper 13.5 h × 17.5 w in (34 × 44 cm) Signed to lower edge 'Sarah Stone'. Titled and illegibly inscribed to upper edge 'Falco Pygargus' Provenance: Skinner, Paintings & Prints, 9 March 2001, Lot 302 Condition: Work is in good overall condition and has not been examined out of frame, however, sheet is fully visible. Small tears to upper right corner and lower edge below falcon's tail and two small losses to center of lower edge and lower right corner. One diagonal crease to center of right edge and minor flaking to black pigment within eye. Few areas of surface soiling throughout, most noticeably to corners and one pinpoint sized bulge to sheet within uppermost wing, due to pressure from a foreign object. Overall, work presents well. Framed behind glass measuring 20 x 25 inches.
18TH century original watercolor by the British artist Sarah Stone. Image of the Senegal Parrot, West Africa. Ink annotations along the top left edge: Senegal Parrot La Syn. (Latham, Synopsis) volume: 1 page: 307. Ink annotation along the top right edge, corresponding to the subjects Linnaean classification: Senegalus. Watercolor, ink and gouache heightened with gum arabic on laid paper. Dimensions: 9 3/4 in. x 13 13/16 in. Natural Curiosities from the New World. Condition: good original unframed condition, no repairs noted (view all photos for accuracy). Provenance: Boston, Massachusetts estate. Sarah Stone was commissioned by Sir Ashton Lever for the Lever Museum (Leicester House, London) to paint and record specimen and ethnographic material brought back by British expeditions to Australia, the Americas, Africa and the Far East in the 1780s and 1790s, including Captain Cooks round the world voyage. Possibly this watercolor represents a specimen collected by Captain Cook's 3rd voyage. Sarah Stone is considered one of the greatest British natural history painters, and one of the few women painters working in her time.
Sarah Stone (English, 1760-1844) Cayenne Warbler (Motacilla Cayona) ink and watercolor on paper signed and dated lower left Sarah Stone 1781 13 3/4 x 9 1/2in (35 x 24cm) Provenance: Property from a Private Collector, Hollywood, California.
Watercolour, circa 1789-90 Signed Sarah Smith , lower centre 44 x 33.5 cm (17 x 13in.) Since she was best known, before and after her marriage, as Sarah Stone it is very possible that this watercolour was painted the year of her marriage; indeed few examples of her work exist after her marriage and certainly after the auction of the Lever Collection in 1806, no signed and dated watercolour survives from after this date.
Attributed to Sarah Stone (1760-1844) two watercolors Buffel Headed Duck and King Idler Drake Duck both unsigned both titled top left sight size of both 10" x 13 3/4" Provenance: Property from Credit Suisse's Americana Collection
AFTER SARAH STONE circa 1760-1844 Black Cockatoo (circa 1800-1805) watercolour and Indian ink on paper 26.5 x 14.7 cm PROVENANCE Private Collection, United Kingdom Private Collection, Adelaide
*Stone (Sarah, circa 1760-1844). A rose-breasted grosbeak, 1785, watercolour, showing a bird perching on a branch, signed and dated to lower margin, toned, 38 x 29cm (15 x 11.5ins), framed and glazed, with remains of old framer's label on backboard from earlier frame Sarah Stone's father was a fan painter, and it was from him that she learnt her technique. When she was about 17 she visited the Leverian Museum at Leicester House in London. This vast and important collection of natural objects, including live animals, consisted of around 27,000 items. Its owner, Sir Ashton Lever, commissioned Sarah Stone to paint many of the specimens housed in the vast sixteen room mansion. Her artwork is considered of great importance as a record of some of the species collected by explorers and housed in the long-since defunct museum, some of which are now extinct or have endangered populations. The museum was put up as a lottery prize in 1786, with tickets priced at one guinea. The collection was eventually dispersed in 1806, selling at auctions over a period of sixty-five days. The library at the Natural History Museum has a large collection of Sarah Stone's watercolours. (1)
Stone (Sarah, circa 1760-1844). A rose-breasted grosbeak, 1785, watercolour, showing a bird perching on a branch, signed and dated to lower margin, toned, 38 x 29cm (15 x 11.5ins), framed and glazed, with remains of old framer's label on backboard from earlier frame. Sarah Stone's father was a fan painter, and it was from him that she learnt her technique. When she was about 17 she visited the Leverian Museum at Leicester House in London. This vast and important collection of natural objects, including live animals, consisted of around 27,000 items. Its owner, Sir Ashton Lever, commissioned Sarah Stone to paint many of the specimens housed in the vast sixteen room mansion. Her artwork is considered of great importance as a record of some of the species collected by explorers and housed in the long-since defunct museum, some of which are now extinct or have endangered populations. The museum was put up as a lottery prize in 1786, with tickets priced at one guinea. The collection was eventually dispersed in 1806, selling at auctions over a period of sixty-five days. The library at the Natural History Museum has a large collection of Sarah Stone's watercolours. (1)
Sarah Stone (British, 1760–1844) Niam Niam Parrot, African Grey Parrot, Long Tailed Parakeet and Green Parrot (four works after original watercolors) photo reproductions 17 1/4 x 23 inches each.
Attributed to Sarah Stone 2 studies of birds, watercolours and ink, late 18th century, each c.22 x 17.5cm (8 5/8 x 6 7/8 in); with 2 studies of exotic birds in the manner of George Edwards, watercolour and gouache, each 23 x 18cm (9 x 7 in) (4).
SARAH STONE (C.1760-1844) A blue jay perched upon a branch curiously watching a butterfly, watercolour, 8 1/4" x 11 3/4"; and one further by the same hand - A parrot and dragonfly, signed, watercolour, 12 1/2" tondo (2) According to a note verso the former picture formerly from Sir Ashton Lever's museum
