William T Cooper Art

William T Cooper art features a rare collection of paintings of African turacos.....

William Cooper is a prominent Australian artist specialising in birds which include works on Australian parrots, cockatoos and kingfishers, as well as the African turacos. He travelled to Africa in 1995 to do the observations and field sketches of the turacos.

Joseph Forshaw is one of Australia's foremost ornithologists, and is recognised internationally as a leading expert on parrots.

Turacos are uniquely African, with 23 species recognised by most authorities. The forest-living species are undoubtedly among the most spectacularly colourful of birds, while the savanna-dwellers (known as "go-away birds") are predominantly grey in plumage. In South Africa, these birds are better known as louries. All species feed on fruit, sometimes also leaves, buds and flowers. Not very adept in flight, all turacos prefer to climb through foliage to high points and then launch themselves to another tree. They are very agile when running and hopping along branches. Few birds have such harsh calls, with croaks and barks being the most apt vocal description for most turacos.

A numbered collector's edition of only 290 sets published in 1997 by Nokomis Publications.

The portfolio consists of 23 colour plates with accompanying text by Joseph M Forshaw and with an introduction by Sir David Attenborough.

Each plate is reproduced to it's original size of 29.5" x 22.4".

The portfolio is beautifully presented in a hand-crafted solander box.

This is a rare chance to purchase Portfolio No.274 signed by William T Cooper and Joseph M Forshaw in a private sale.

Price: R36,000 (excluding packaging and shipping)

Just take a look at these beautiful turacos....