After Sydney Parkinson (Late 19th Century) Two Early Botanic...

Estimate

£100 - £200

After Sydney Parkinson (Late 19th Century) Two Early Botanical Copper Engravings,  A remarkable pair of uncoloured copper engravings in elephant folio format, each leaf measuring 63cm x 50.5cm, with engraved plate marks of 45.5cm x 29.5cm. Both prints show signs of age, including spotting and heavy toning to the versos, and notably lack plate numbers, [paper suggests mid to late 19th century]. One engraving depicts Barringtonia Calyptrata, while the other could be Ipomoea Illustris, both drawn on the first Endeavour trip. These works are after Sydney Parkinson, the artist engaged by Joseph Banks during Captain Cook’s first voyage (1768–1771). Parkinson’s botanical illustrations were later published in Banks' Florilegium: The Plants Collected on Captain Cook's First Voyage Around the World (1980), but these engravings predate that edition. Their impressive elephant folio size suggests an earlier origin, while the absence of plate numbers adds to the mystery.