Natural History Drawings of Malaya Peninsula 1803-1818: The Complete William Farquhar Collection

This book brings together for the first time all 477 pieces in Colonel William Farquhar’s collection of natural history drawings, commissioned during his time as British Resident and Commandant of Malacca from 1803 to 1818. Covering a wide spectrum of flora and fauna, the evocative paintings were rendered in brilliant watercolour by Chinese artists who employed both Chinese and Western painting techniques. In an era when photography was non-existent, the only means of recording nature and w...