The Unfeathered Bird, by Katrina van Grouw with drawings and paintings by the author. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-15134-2. $49.95/ £34.95

Abstract

The first thing to say about this large book is that it is clearly a labour of love, the product of many years of thoughtful work. For this reason, if no other, it is intriguing. The second is that it is elegantly produced and imaginatively designed with hundreds of illustrations enlivened by a rich and detailed text. The reader can be forgiven for supposing that a book exclusively devoted to the bones and skeletons of birds might be a little dry. In this case, however, such a suspicion would be wide of the mark. This is an interesting, informative and entertaining book, and even those who imagine they have little interest in the subject matter might find it so. Attractive and varied use of the reproduced drawings and paintings (all by Ms van Grouw herself) keep the viewer interested from first page to last. But this volume is not just about the pictures. The author writes in a lively and informative way and not for a moment does her text become dull or tedious. And what can be said of the drawings which are indeed the basis and main thrust of the book? Katrina van Grouw may lack the ferocious drawing skills of some of the nineteenth century artists who illustrated Richard Owen's celebrated monographs on skeletal formations and fossils, but her pictures are honest, lively and accurate. Best of all, her fascination with the subject matter shines through and manages to engage the viewer. She can communicate by means of her pencil or brush an enthusiasm for subjects that might ordinarily seem drab and academic. She is certainly an infinitely better drawer than someone who was recently appointed honorary professor of drawing at The Royal Academy – but that is perhaps damning her with faint praise. In an age when good draughtsmanship is misunderstood and often dismissed, Katrina van Grouw has bravely persisted with her convictions, and at her best she produces images of some beauty. Purists with scientific sensibilities might baulk at the somewhat eccentric arrangement of the book; it certainly doesn't conform to the normal systematic order taxonomists use when grouping bird families. In an introduction the author explains with perfect clarity her reasons for arranging her material in the way she has. Whether or not the reader will find this illuminating is perhaps a matter of personal preference. Anyone who likes beautiful books, quirky subjects or just wants to be informed and entertained should get a copy of this one.