Loxodonta africana (African Elephant); and Rhinoceros unicornis (Greater One-horned Asian Rhinosceros)

Joseph Smit and his son Pierre-Jacques were prolific artists, working in London, who contributed to many important zoological publications. J. Smit came to London in 1865/6 and worked closely with Joseph Wolf (1820-1899). Smit's published work includes R. Lydekker, The Great and Small Game of Africa, London, 1899, D.G. Elliot's A Review of the Primates, New York, 1912 and the various reviews, transactions and proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. It was for his plates for the Transactions, London, 1835-, and the Proceedings, 1831- that his son Pierre-Jacques was most remembered. Nissen concludes that the two Smits, together with Keulemans and Grnvold, created the 'Hhepunkt der zoologischen Grostierdarstellung in England' (p. 215).
Lydekker's The Royal Natural History was the most comprehensive animal encyclopedia in print at the time and other contributing artists included Joseph Wolf and Wilhelm Kuhnert.
For further watercolours by the artists see lot 175.