Peter Paillou facts for kids

This painting of a "Great Kingfisher" was made by Peter Paillou. It was used in a book about birds.

Peter Paillou (born around 1720, died around 1790) was a British artist. He was famous for painting birds. Many of his bird paintings were used as pictures in books.

Peter Paillou's Life and Work

This picture of "The Heron" was made by Peter Mazell in 1766. It was based on a painting by Peter Paillou.

We do not know much about Peter Paillou's early life. People believe he came to Britain from France in the early 1700s.

In 1745, he was asked to paint a special bird called a gilded pheasant. Later, a writer named Thomas Pennant hired him. Peter Paillou painted many birds for Pennant. These paintings were then turned into prints by Peter Mazell. The prints were used as pictures in Pennant's books.

Peter Paillou also created paintings showing different types of climates. He likely made these for Thomas Pennant as well. Some of these paintings are now kept in the Pennant Collection. You can find them at the National Library of Wales.

About Peter Paillou's Family

Peter Paillou had a son who was also an artist. His son was also named Peter Paillou (1757–1831). The younger Peter Paillou painted portraits, including small ones called miniatures.

He worked in London for 20 years. After that, he moved to Glasgow for some time. In Glasgow, he charged eight guineas for a miniature painting. He charged ten guineas for a three-quarter length portrait in oil paints.

Famous Artworks by Peter Paillou

Peter Paillou's artwork can be seen in several places. He created the colorful pictures in a book called A natural history of birds. This book was written by George Edwards between 1740 and 1750.