Kangaroo ‘discovery’ may be overstated

One of the oil paintings in question. ‘Far from being recently discovered, the paintings have been on display in the museum almost continuously since 1807,’ writes Caroline Grigson. Photograph: Royal College of Surgeons

How exciting to read of the discovery of two paintings of kangaroos in the Hunterian Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons (Pair of kangaroo oil paintings hop into the history books, 27 March).

Alas, far from being recently discovered, the paintings have been on display in the museum almost continuously since 1807. Moreover, the attribution to John Lewin in Australia is dubious. The College’s website quotes a record of 1816: “Painted in New South Wales? By [blank]”, superseding another of 1807 which states: “Supposed to have been painted by Mr Lewin”, in “New Holland”. They could equally have been painted by an unknown artist in England – kangaroos were alive and well and breeding in the royal menagerie at Richmond. The donor of the paintings, Everard Home, published an anatomical account of “The mode of generation of the Kanguroo” as early as 1795, having obtained some of his specimens from Richmond the previous year.
Caroline Grigson
Former curator of the Hunterian Museum and author of Menagerie, a History of Exotic Animals in England

• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters