Bidspirit auction | William Hayes - Hand-coloured engraving

William Hayes - Hand-coloured engraving of Shaft-tailed Whidah 1817 - This hand-coloured engraving is from Portraits of the Curious Exotic Birds, which formerly composed the Osterly Menagerie by William Hayes. Published by William Bulmer and Co., London: 1817 This series of prints of exotic species of birds are from the Osterley Menagerie in London. William Hayes was a self-taught artist, who depicted birds at life size whenever possible, as John James Audubon would later do. He engaged no fewer than seven of his children in printing, colouring and assembling volumes, and at least some of his bird illustrations were drawn by other members of his large family. Size: 9.25in x 12in (23.5cm x 30.5cm)