The only watercolor showing Darwin aboard the Beagle will be auctioned – Ultimahora.com

The auction house Sotheby’s in London will sell the only known depiction of Charles Darwin on the Beagle, the ship that led the British naturalist in its historical exploration around the world (1831-1836) and in which forged his theory of evolution of species.

EFE

The work is part of a collection that will be released on 15 December and consisting historical documents and English literature, children’s books and illustrations, as reported by the Auction House.

This is an image painted by Augustus Earle (1793-1838) and valued between 50,000 and 70,000 pounds watercolor (on 75400-105500 dollars), which captures the scientific expedition as never before seen, while traveling along the coast of Patagonia in 1832.

The theory of evolution by natural selection of Darwin challenged the foundations of Western civilization and completely changed the way we view the world.

After making brief stops in Brazil, Darwin came to Patagonia in July 1832, where he was in contact with exotic animals at the time, as rheas , guanacos and armadillos, describing findings of fossil bones of extinct Pleistocene mammals, then very common along the banks of the rivers Pampas Argentina.

In the watercolor, fossils, botanical species and minerals are stacked on the deck of the boat and examined by Darwin, which lies in the center of the composition, wearing hat and coat.

The naturalist is surrounded by members of the crew Beagle, including Captain Robert FitzRoy, as well as other navigational and surveying instruments.