William de Alwis
Encyclopedia
William de Alwis was a Ceylonese artist
and entomologist.
With his brother George (dates unknown), William made a lasting contribution to the knowledge of the Lepidoptera
, butterflies and moths of Ceylon
.
The brothers' father, Haramanis de Alwis Seneviratne (1792-1894) was a botanical illustrator
who worked at the Botanical Gardens in Ceylon at Kalutara between 1818-1822 and Peradenyia from 1822-1861. He illustrated over 2,000 plants. William was appointed to succeed him to continue the work as a botanical artist.
George Thwaites
, the Director of the Botanical Garden at Peradeniya between 1849 and 1880, who was impressed by the de Alwis brothers' botanical drawings, recommended to W. H. Gregory, the Governor of Ceylon, that they should draw from nature the butterflies and moths of Ceylon. Thwaites supervised the drawings, many of which were illustrations of specimens that he had collected himself. The drawings were accurate and later used by a number of authors publishing on the lepidoptera of Ceylon. Notably by George Morrison Reid Henry
and L.G.O. Woodhouse. The De Alwis drawings are in the Natural History Museum
, London.
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and entomologist.
With his brother George (dates unknown), William made a lasting contribution to the knowledge of the Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
, butterflies and moths of Ceylon
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
The brothers' father, Haramanis de Alwis Seneviratne (1792-1894) was a botanical illustrator
Botanical illustrator
A botanical illustrator is a person who paints, sketches or otherwise illustrates botanical subjects such as trees and flowers. The job requires great artistic skill, attention to fine detail, and technical botanical knowledge...
who worked at the Botanical Gardens in Ceylon at Kalutara between 1818-1822 and Peradenyia from 1822-1861. He illustrated over 2,000 plants. William was appointed to succeed him to continue the work as a botanical artist.
George Thwaites
George Henry Kendrick Thwaites
George Henry Kendrick Thwaites was an English botanist and entomologist.Thwaites was initially an accountant and studied botany during his spare time. He was interested particularly in the lower plants such as the algae and the cryptogams...
, the Director of the Botanical Garden at Peradeniya between 1849 and 1880, who was impressed by the de Alwis brothers' botanical drawings, recommended to W. H. Gregory, the Governor of Ceylon, that they should draw from nature the butterflies and moths of Ceylon. Thwaites supervised the drawings, many of which were illustrations of specimens that he had collected himself. The drawings were accurate and later used by a number of authors publishing on the lepidoptera of Ceylon. Notably by George Morrison Reid Henry
George Morrison Reid Henry
George Morrison Reid Henry was an entomologist and ornithologist in Sri Lanka.He was born at Goatfell Estate, Kandapola, Sri Lanka where his father, Charles Reid Henry, managed tea estates. He was one of eleven children and was educated at home by his older sisters...
and L.G.O. Woodhouse. The De Alwis drawings are in the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
, London.