The Turacos

Publication: The Turacos

Author: Hermann Schlegel  and G.F. Westerman

Print artist: Hermann Schlegel 

Published: Leiden, 1860

A complete set includes: 
1 title page
1 content page with all titles of the prints
17 prints after the hand-colored originals
Certificate of authenticity
1 handcrafted art folder

Casing: The complete set will be cased in a stylish, hand-made art folder embossed with golden lettering.

You may choose the color of your art folder and your own lettering.

Size of the prints: 28.5 x 21 inches (72.5 x 53 cm).

Durability: To ensure the durability, the giclée’s are printed on acid-free white etching paper (270 g/m²) with archival ink.

Quality: These prints were  photographed using the latest technology and reproduced at the original plate size. Printed in the highest possible resolution, these prints are virtually indistinguishable from the originals when glazed and framed.

Limited Edition: The edition will be limited to 50 sets, numbered 1/50 to 50/50, signed and stamped with a blind embossing.

Shipping and delivery: Read more about shipping and delivery in our FAQ .

Born in the German city of Altenburg, Schlegel’s love of natural history began at an early age.

His father, a brassfounder, was a keen collector of butterflies which first gave the young Schlegel an introduction to the natural world. But it was the unexpected discovery of a buzzard’s nest which set Schlegel on his path to studying birds. His discovery also led to a meeting with the German ornithologist Christian Ludwig Brehm, who would later become instrumental in setting Schlegel upon his career in zoology.

In 1824, Schlegel travelled to Vienna where he attended university lectures by Austrian zoologist Leopold Fitzinger and Austrian taxidermist and zoologist Johann Jakob Heckel.

Following his earlier meeting with Schlegel, the ornithologist Brehm wrote to the Natural History Museum in Vienna, securing a place there for Schlegel. 

Natural History Museum Leiden 

A year later, the director from the museum recommended Schlegel to the Natural History Museum in Leiden in the Netherlands. Schlegel began working here as an assistant, at first working with the reptile collection but later working with other zoological collections.

In his early 40s, Schlegel became a correspondent of the Royal Institute of the Netherlands which later became the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Debate on evolution

This period was a time of much debate on the topic of evolution. Schlegel believed that species were fixed and made his opposition to Darwin’s theory of evolution clear.

In 1858, when Coenraad Jacob Temminck, director of the Natural History Museum in Leiden died, Schlegel became the new director, after spending over three decades under Temminck’s direction.

Interest in wildlife Southeast Asia

Schlegel had a particular interest in the wildlife of Southeast Asia and in 1857 he sent his son Gustav to China to collect birds. Around this time, he also took on an assistant Otto Finsch and began publishing a scientific magazine Notes from the Leyden Museum.

Schlegel employed three accomplished artists: John Gerrard Keulemans, Joseph Smit, and Joseph Wolf who worked with him on his volumes of bird art.

Schlegel died on 17 January 1884 in Leiden but his name lives on. Several species have been named after him including the crested penguin Eudyptes schlegeli and the venomous snake Aspidomorphus schlegelii.

Two of Schlegel’s best-loved publications are his work on falconry: Traite de Fauconnerie and The Turacos, his study of the Turaco – a colorful bird from sub-Saharan Africa.

Comprising of 17 prints, Schelegel created The Turacos with Gerard Frederick Westerman, one of the founders of the Royal Zoological Society – also known as Natura Artis Magistra, the oldest zoo in the Netherlands.

Published in 1860, the book was commissioned by the society and was dedicated to its patron His Majesty the King – Willem III of the Netherlands.

It is widely regarded as one of the greatest bird books ever published but was an extremely rare publication, produced in a very limited number, and never for sale.

Instead, the book was presented to members of the society and to those within the field of zoological science whom the society felt deserved recognition.

Produced in the large folio size (28.5 x 21 inches, 72.5 x 53 cm), the work depicts life-size illustrations of the beautiful Turacos, famed for their distinctive and colorful plumage, set within their lush natural habitat.

Own your own Schlegel giclée prints

We are delighted to give you the opportunity to own your own Schlegel collection, created directly from the original editions of these acclaimed masterpieces.

Reproduced in the original size, each one is printed using fine art digital printing processes, using the highest possible resolution, to create images that are indistinguishable from the originals.

With age-resistant white etching paper and archival ink; the prints are designed to resist fading for 100 years, giving you a lifetime of enjoyment from these extraordinary collections.

Solander Box

When investing in a complete Schelegel set, you can also choose our beautiful Solander box as the perfect place to store your collection.

This high-quality box is designed especially for keeping your prints safe and in perfect condition – yet you can still easily look at them whenever you wish.

You will also receive our Certificate of Authenticity. This shows all the details of your artwork and gives you valuable certification if you ever wish to sell or bequeath your collection in the future.