ATTRIBUTED TO SARAH BOWDICH (BRITISH 1791-1856)
Study of a gudgeon
inscribed Gudgeon (lower centre); with the artist's monogram SB (lower right)
watercolour and bodycolour over pencil, heightened with silver and gold, unframed
14 x 19 cm (5 1/2 x 7 1/2 in)

ENGLISH SCHOOL (EARLY 19TH CENTURY)
Study of a fish
signed with monogram EL
watercolour and bodycolour heightened with gold
12.4 x 21.7 cm (4 7/8 x 8 1/2 in)
unframed

(2)

Sarah Bowdich (née Lee) (1791-1856) was an author, naturalist, illustrator, traveller and collector. She represents an important exception to the rule that in the 19th Century women played a secondary role in their contribution to and authorship of scientific publications before 1851. She was the wife of the celebrated African explorer Thomas Edward Bowdich (1791-1824), and together they explored West Africa studying the local culture and natural history. After her husband's sudden death from fever in 1824, Sarah was left penniless and set about making a career from her study and illustrations of natural history. Returning to London, in 1825 she completed her husband's last work on Madeira, adding many of her own additions on the fish, birds and plants.

In 1826 she began working on her greatest achievement and the one for which she is best known, The Freshwater Fishes of Great Britain. The work included 48 original hand painted watercolours depicting fish. It took her ten years to complete during which time she carefully drew and painted each fish fresh from the water. She wrote, 'Every drawing has been taken from the living fish immediately it came from the water it inhabited so that no tint has been lost or deadened.' Only 50 copies were published between 1828 and 1838 and she drew and hand coloured every illustration adding ground fish scales and gold and silver pigment to convey the natural sheen of the fish, which is still visible today. She illustrated approxiamately 2,400 plates and provided each fish with a full scientific description. She went on to publish numerous books on natural history, breaking through obstacles for women in science and paving the way for scientific research and illustration by women in the years to come.

The present work, study of a Gudgeon, is a version of her illustration, plate 15. in her publication The Fresh-water Fishes of Great Britain, drawn and described by Mrs T. Edward Bowdich. It is signed with her monogram SB rather than her full signature, indicating that this was a working study that was not included in one of the 50 finished books.