Sarah Stone

Sarah Stone (1761-1844) was a natural history painter in England. She was commissioned by numerous great eighteenth century collectors including Sir Ashton Lever and Sir Joseph Banks. Stone was called upon to create watercolor drawings based on specimens of animals and birds brought to England by the members of scientific explorations including Captain James Cook. In many instances, Stone’s drawings were the first studies of certain species. For this reason, her pieces held a great deal of scientific interest. Stone was especially revered for bringing to the drawings a liveliness that suggested the creatures as they existed in their natural habitats.