Peter Paillou (British, c.1720-1790)
The Arctic Tern
Watercolor on laid paper 
ca. 1750
Paper size: 21 1/2 x 15 1/4 in.
Frame size: 32 x 25 in.

Little is known of Peter Paillou’s early career, but he gained a reputation in the 18th century as a natural history painter and illustrator.  He was employed by two leading naturalists and antiquarians, Taylor White (1701-1772) and Thomas Pennant (1726-1798).  He illustrated the latter’s British Zoology and decorated the hall at Downing, Pennant’s house in Flintshire, with several pictures of birds and animals, four of which represented the year’s seasons. He also contributed plates to A Natural History of Birds by George Edwards, 1740–50.

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or by email at loricohen@aradergalleries.com