Baudin's Voyagers and The Art of Science

Over two weeks we're sharing summaries of and extracts from some Wakefield Press gems, in blog posts put together by work experience student Maddy. (And yes, we briefly had two Maddys in the office! Never enough Maddys, we say.) The Art of Science tells of the rich history around Nicholas Baudin's Voyagers from 1800 to 1804. Flip through the pages and join explorers as they discover and chart Australia. Beautiful scientific drawings illustrate exquisite flora…

The interesting case of Lesueur and the wombats

The Art of Science is one of those books that has something for everyone. The beautiful images created by Baudin's artists on the voyage to New Holland in 1800–1804 are fascinating for history buffs and art lovers, young and old. Here, art historian Sasha Grishin explains the evolution of depictions of wombats, from sketches during the voyage to final printed plates. Over the past three decades, the story of Baudin, his artists Charles-Alexandre Lesueur and Nicolas-Martin Petit,…

Baudin's names in Australia

One of the most familiar impacts of the voyages of Flindes and Baudin around Australia is the names that they gave to places. While many of Flinders names are still in use today, Baudin left very few place names in his wake. Jean Fornasiero, Peter Monteath and John West-Sooby explain why in Encountering Terra Australis. One of the most distinctive and recognisable symbols of any nation is the outline of the country its citizens inhabit. Determining the…