About the artist
Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins was an English sculptor and natural history artist. He was born in 1807 and is best known for his life-sise models of extinct animals, which he created for the Crystal Palace Park in London. He was also a prolific illustrator, creating illustrations for books and magazines. Hawkins was a pioneer in the field of paleoart, and his work helped to popularise the study of paleontology. He was also a passionate advocate for the preservation of natural history specimens.
Also associated with: Crystal Palace Park, paleontology, natural history specimens, John Ruskin, Royal College of Art, Royal Academy of Arts.