Oriolus phoeniceus (after Linnaeus)
Shaw & Nodder, The Naturalist’s Miscellany, c. 1793
Hand-coloured copperplate engraving on wove paper
This elegant hand-coloured engraving from George Shaw’s celebrated Naturalist’s Miscellany, engraved by Frederick Polydore Nodder. The Red-shouldered Tanager—its scarlet and yellow wing patch glowing against deep black plumage—was once mistaken for Linnaeus’s Red-winged Oriole, illustrating the taxonomic puzzles of the Enlightenment. Shaw noted its smaller size and flatter beak, qualities that aligned it more closely with the Tanagers of Africa.
Combining scientific precision with grace, Nodder’s plate reflects the moment when natural history became both art and inquiry. This example retains the original descriptive text leaf—rarely preserved—and shows excellent original colour.
Dimensions: 23 × 14 cm (plate) | 26 × 17 cm (sheet)
Condition: Fine; light age toning, rich colour.
Rarity: Scarce complete with text page.
Oriolus phoeniceus (after Linnaeus)
Shaw & Nodder, The Naturalist’s Miscellany, c. 1793
Hand-coloured copperplate engraving on wove paper
This elegant hand-coloured engraving from George Shaw’s celebrated Naturalist’s Miscellany, engraved by Frederick Polydore Nodder. The Red-shouldered Tanager—its scarlet and yellow wing patch glowing against deep black plumage—was once mistaken for Linnaeus’s Red-winged Oriole, illustrating the taxonomic puzzles of the Enlightenment. Shaw noted its smaller size and flatter beak, qualities that aligned it more closely with the Tanagers of Africa.
Combining scientific precision with grace, Nodder’s plate reflects the moment when natural history became both art and inquiry. This example retains the original descriptive text leaf—rarely preserved—and shows excellent original colour.
Dimensions: 23 × 14 cm (plate) | 26 × 17 cm (sheet)
Condition: Fine; light age toning, rich colour.
Rarity: Scarce complete with text page.