Exotic birds and insects among trees and foliage in a mountainous river landscape

In this picture Reinagle brings together an assembly of birds in the tradition popularised by Melchior d'Hondecoeter and his followers. By the mid-to-late 18th century, the importation of exotic species was largely in the hands of British sailors rather than the Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch of the previous century. The skins were bought by wealthy collectors interested in science such as Sir Ashton Lever, and were no longer exclusively the property of royalty and the nobility. Reinagle has chosen birds of predominantly blue plumage, such as the American blue jay perched high above a waxwing, in a mixture of species from around the world and from many different habitats. Some of the specimens that he used appear to have deteriorated and occasionally the artist seems to have added and even subtracted colours, making the identification of some of the birds difficult, for example the two parrots (key no.26). It is also likely that the insects and butterflies would have been painted from specimens in Lever's museum, again while these are often accurately painted they are occasionally shown in incongruous contexts. The imaginary landscape includes stylised representations of palms, orchids, daisies, silenes, acacia bushes and possibly an oak.