Lot Essay
William Hayes was among the slightly later English imitators of Samuel Dixon of Dublin, the inventor of the process of basso relievo (see lots 7-9 and 11 in this sale).
This pelican was possibly among the exotic birds that inhabited the remarkable menagerie-aviary house that was built in the park of Robert Child's Middlesex villa, Osterley Park and featured amongst the collection of colored etchings and watercolor drawings entitled A Collection of Birds in the Menagerie at Osterley, 1779-86, which was published by William Hayes, artist and ornithologist, of Chelsea and Southall, Middlesex. When Hayes later published Portraits of Rare and Curious Birds from the Menagerie of Osterley Park, his specially colored proofs were made available to Robert Child's widow Sarah, by then Lady Ducie (d.1793), to decorate the parlor of her Osterley menagerie.
A bird picture signed by Hayes and from this set was sold by the Earl of Perth, Christie's London, 18 April 1996, lot 49.
This pelican was possibly among the exotic birds that inhabited the remarkable menagerie-aviary house that was built in the park of Robert Child's Middlesex villa, Osterley Park and featured amongst the collection of colored etchings and watercolor drawings entitled A Collection of Birds in the Menagerie at Osterley, 1779-86, which was published by William Hayes, artist and ornithologist, of Chelsea and Southall, Middlesex. When Hayes later published Portraits of Rare and Curious Birds from the Menagerie of Osterley Park, his specially colored proofs were made available to Robert Child's widow Sarah, by then Lady Ducie (d.1793), to decorate the parlor of her Osterley menagerie.
A bird picture signed by Hayes and from this set was sold by the Earl of Perth, Christie's London, 18 April 1996, lot 49.