The Emerald Bird of Paradise

Artist:

Neville Cayley (1853 – 1903)

Born in England, Cayley was noted for his superb paintings of birds which he exhibited both in Australia and internationally. In 1892, he was awarded a gold medal at the Chicago Exposition for his paintings of Australian birds. Amusingly, when he traveled around the Australian countryside in search of new species of birds to draw, Cayley would often pay his hosts by painting pictures. Alongside the well-known British ornithologist John Gould, Cayley inspired many colonial settlers to take an interest in native Australian birds. He is represented in numerous institutional collections.