First Fleet artwork collection

Drawing of an antelope in right profile, with a scale of feet in black ink on the left-hand side (1 foot = 4.2 cm.). It is coloured pale brown above and white below, with black markings on the face, tail, legs and belly, and a pair of long horns. It is depicted grazing on a green-grey coloured vegetation, standing on grey ground. The drawing is framed with a thick black ink line and a triple-banded border, the central band of which is coloured with a pink wash and includes a plain panel below the drawing which contains the title. The signature and date are located in the inner band at lower right. Most of the outer band appears to have been lost through the drawing having been cropped.

• George Raper]
• The drawing is inscribed in black ink in a panel below the drawing "ANTELOPE from an Original Drawing in the possession of Mr. Mason Cape-Good-Hope.".
• The drawing is signed and dated at lower right "GEO: RapeR # 1792 ~".
• The drawing is inscribed in pencil at bottom left with the number "32", at top right "31", and on the reverse "46".
• Hindwood (1964) identifies the Mr. Mason of the title as Francis Masson, botanist to King George III, who was sent to the Cape of Good Hope to collect plants in 1771 and 1786-1795.
• Raper passed through Cape Town in the Waaksamheyd between December 1791 and January 1792, en route for England.
• The author of this catalogue record is Suzanne Stenning.
• By permission of the trustees of the Natural History Museum (London).
• Two sets of transparencies held in the Natural History Museum (London) Zoology Library and Picture Library: Picture Library order number 15132
• Miss Eva Godman donated 1962
• Data sheet available.
• Hindwood, K.A. 'George Raper: an Artist of the First Fleet', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Australian Historical Society, Vol. 50, Pt. 1, 1964 pp.32-57.