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Lot Essay
Samuel Dixon's first 'Sett of curious Foreign Bird Pieces' were advertised in Faulkner's Dublin Journal 4 April 1749. The subject matter derived from George Edward's Natural History of Uncommon Birds, published 1743-51, and the descriptions were also drawn directly from Edwards' works. From the outset Dixon had invited subscriptions from the nobility and gentry, and accordingly the set carried a printed dedication to the Rt. Hon. Chaworth Brabazon, Earl of Meath.
The four pictures offered here are from Dixon's second and more ambitious set of bird pictures, the so-called 'Foreign and Domestick Birds'. They differed from the 1750 set in size and in the complexity of their compositions, some featuring as many as three birds, insects, flowers and fruit, shells and corals. Faulkner's Dublin Journal reported on 21 August 1753 that 'Mr Dixon of Capel-street, is designing a most curious large set of Pictures', but it was not until 9 September 1755 that they were finished and ready for distribution to subscribers. Whereas the earlier set had carried a single dedication, each of the twelve now carried an individual dedication, representing a distinguished roll-call of the Irish gentry.
A complete set of twelve of this second edition was sold Christie's, London, 7 June 2007, lot 20 (£108,000 including premium).
The four pictures offered here are from Dixon's second and more ambitious set of bird pictures, the so-called 'Foreign and Domestick Birds'. They differed from the 1750 set in size and in the complexity of their compositions, some featuring as many as three birds, insects, flowers and fruit, shells and corals. Faulkner's Dublin Journal reported on 21 August 1753 that 'Mr Dixon of Capel-street, is designing a most curious large set of Pictures', but it was not until 9 September 1755 that they were finished and ready for distribution to subscribers. Whereas the earlier set had carried a single dedication, each of the twelve now carried an individual dedication, representing a distinguished roll-call of the Irish gentry.
A complete set of twelve of this second edition was sold Christie's, London, 7 June 2007, lot 20 (£108,000 including premium).