Background:

These colorful prints are from the British Fish volume of The Naturalist's Library.  Sir William Jardine, who edited the series, commissioned experts throughout Europe to author each of the 40 volumes organized by four major topics - mammals, birds, insects and fish.  The volumes included over 1300 hand-colored plates produced from engravings by William Lizars, the eminent Scottish engraver and painter of topographical views.

Lizars background in topography is evident in this series as many of the Fish are presented in a natural shore setting.  An interesting aspect of each print is that only the subject was hand-colored leaving the background illustration as the original black engraving.