The Illustrated Aviary

In the mid-1800s, naturalist Thomas Campbell Eyton was buying watercolours and prints of birds by the carriage load. Now part of the Ruskin Collection, the illustrations reveal the extraordinary beauty of birds, yet they also show the vulnerability Eyton and the scientific community were beginning to comprehend, with many birds depicted now vanished or under threat.

This exhibition draws together 70 works by notable bird artists such as John James Audubon, Edward Lear and John Gould. From the weird and wonderful to familiar feathered friends, it charts their discoveries and techniques with vivid and luxurious imagery.

Assisted by a brand new commission from contemporary artist Mr Finch and specimens from Museums Sheffield’s own natural history collection, The Illustrated Aviary allows Eyton’s spectacular collection to take flight once more.