106 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
Biographical Sketch of Ferpinanp Baver, Natural History 
Painter to the Expedition of Captain Flinders, R.N., to Ter 
Australis. 
By Dr. Joun Luorsxx. 
Having of late searched in vain through a series of wor! 
such as the Biographie Universelle, for the slightest notice co 
cerning the above named artist, than whom none ever pou 
trayed botanical subjects more admirably, I have considered 
incumbent on myself to make use of the original family d i 
ments in my possession, and so to plant, as it were, a cy 
on the grave of a man with whom I may almost claim. 
dred, as my countryman and fellow-traveller in Australia. 
Ferdinand Bauer was born in 1760, at Feldsperg in Av 
tria, where his father held the appointment of Painter to 
court of the reigning Prince of Lichtenstein, but died, wl À 
his son Ferdinand was only a year old. However, the e! 
Bauer must have possessed decided talents as an artist, 
his three sons having become eminent in his profession, viz: 
Francis Bauer, F.R.S., botanical painter to the King at Ke 
and Joseph, director of the picture gallery to the above name 
prince at Vienna. In his earliest youth, Ferdinand cop! 
plants and birds from the designs of his late parent, but s00 
he took to painting from nature, and followed her as- 
chief guide throughout life. In the year 1775 we find hi 
connected with the Rev. N. Boccius, Superior of bo 3 
vent and hospital Fratrum Misericordie at Feldsperg 5 W 
being very fond of botanical studies, employed F. Bader 
make miniature delineations of plants from nature. He exe 
cuted the greater part of a collection, which, consisting € of 
volumes in folio, may yet be seen in the Prince’s library 
Vienna. Occasionally Ferdinand resided in that city, p?! 
ing landscapes in the studio of the celebrated Artist, " -— 
Brand. / 
But the events which preceded and followed the d - 
of the Emperor Joseph II. of Austria, would probably b 
doomed the talents of our subject to cramped inactivity, » 
