Masked Lapwing, Vanellus miles novaehollandiae
Neville Henry Cayley1892 - 1893
Museums Victoria
Carlton, Australia
This watercolour of the Masked Lapwing, Vanellus miles novaehollandiae by Neville H.P. Cayley depicts two adults with their young. At the time he painted this work in 1892, the species was commonly known as the Spur-winged Plover, Vanellus novaehollandiae.
Cayley, the father of the acclaimed Australian artist Neville William Cayley, was one of the best known bird artists in Australia in the late 19th century. He was the artist preferred by the hunting fraternity as he often painted game birds. However he is best remembered for his contributions to scientific papers and publications such as North's Nests and Eggs of Birds found breeding in Australia and Tasmania (1889).
- Title: Masked Lapwing, Vanellus miles novaehollandiae
- Creator Lifespan: 1853 - 1903
- Creator Nationality: English
- Creator Gender: Male
- Creator Death Place: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Creator Birth Place: Kent, United Kingdom
- Date Created: 1892 - 1893
- Type: Image
- Rights: Copyright expired: Source: Museum Victoria / Artist: Neville HP Cayley, Copyright expired: Source: Museum Victoria / Artist: Neville HP Cayley
- External Link: Museum Victoria Collections
- Medium: Watercolour on paper
- Themes: Artworks
- Artist biography: Neville H. P. Cayley, the father of the acclaimed Australian artist Neville William Cayley was born in England from where he immigrated to New South Wales. In his newly adopted country, based in Sydney, he quickly established for himself as a wildlife artist. Within a short period he became well known and admired for the quality and accuracy of his art as well as becoming proficient at producing numerous artworks on the subject of birds. Selling his art was not difficult and many were often sold through auction houses.He worked on paper using watercolour and/or gouache. The results of many of his artworks points rather towards the less glossy, or less brilliantly coloured bird species; still they are classic in providing a sharp and accurate image of the subject. All possess very high detail while using his characteristic shaping of the birds; this style was adopted and freely copied by his son Neville William who himself was to become a leader in the art of natural history illustration of Australian wildlife. Many of Cayley Seniors artworks reflect the popular subject of hunting; numerous examples showing of a brace of birds exist. The artworks were eagerly purchased by a large hunting fraternity. He often branched away from this subject to cover other subjects such as popular species well known to his audience. In this way it provided Cayley with the financial means to support his family.Cayley became noticed by leaders of natural science when he was employed to provide illustrations for scientific journals. In this endeavour he worked closely with staff of the Australian Museum, Sydney, where his works were received by an appreciative audience. As part of this he illustrated birds described by A. J. North from results of the Horn Expedition to Central Australia; and bird vignettes and eggs for Norths Nests and Eggs of Birds found breeding in Australia and Tasmania some limited number of the latter being hand colour by the artist. The vignettes are still held at the Australian Museum.
- Artist: Neville HP Cayley
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