Drawn to Nautre: Gilbert White
Drawn to Nature: Gilbert White and the Artists
The natural world as seen through the work of British artists and writers including Eric Ravilious, Virginia Woolf and John Piper
By Simon Martin with an introduction by Sir David Attenborough
Since its publication over 200 years ago Gilbert White’s ‘The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne’ has inspired generations of naturalists, writers and artists.
Gilbert White (1720 – 1793) was one of the first naturalists, influencing both Charles Darwin and David Attenborough. His seminal work ‘The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne’ also inspired generations of writers and artists, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Virginia Woolf, Eric Ravilious and John Nash
White’s book recounts his daily observations of the animals, birds and plant life found on his doorstep in Hampshire and nearby in the South Downs in Sussex. It was an immediate success upon its publication in 1789 and has never been out of print. It has over 300 editions, many of which were illustrated by an array of exceptional artists
In this book Simon Martin has assembled a stunning selection of images of the varied wildlife described by White providing an insight into the continuing appeal and relevance today of Natural History
The book also includes an introduction to the life of Gilbert White by Sir David Attenborough, an essay by Virginia Woolf, poems by modern and contemporary poets, and a jacket design by Mark Hearld