Description
Ellis Rowan was one of Australia's most adventurous and talented natural history artists, specialising in flowers and birds, and occasionally insects. She travelled extensively to find subjects for her work. This small watercolour painting is of a Bird of Paradise from Papua New Guinea. In front of a roughly sketched in background of blue sky and green foliage is a detailed bird on a branch. It has a black raised crest and black chin feathers, with a black and grey chest, underlined by a bright yellow curve of feathers and green belly. The extremely long black tail feathers have white scalloped fringes.
History
Burdekin Bequest,
Tamworth Regional Gallery.
Significance
Provenance: Bequest of Mr Norman Weekes Burdekin and Mrs Margaretta Emilie Burdekin.
Signature: L.L.C. - Ellis Rowan.