Explorations - Dr Robert Ballard

A voyage of discovery in which intrepid explorers, plant hunters, collectors and observers of human behaviour record their impressions and Laura Stoddart comments on them in her entrancing illustrations.Here, in brief quotations from poems, diary entries, memoirs, novels and histories we see stout Cortez silent upon a peak in Darien, Montgolfier waving from his balloon, Darwin taking notes on the Beagle, John Tradescant triumphantly bringing home the pineapple, Marco Polo discovering spaghetti in China, Stanley shaking hands with Dr Livingstone in Africa, and medieval travellers' reports of strange practices in India and Mongolia. We watch the intrepid Jane Digby crossing the Arabian desert on horseback, see young gentleman ambushed by bandits on the Grand Tour, eavesdrop on ladies of the Raj airing their domestic problems, and share Lucy Honeychurch's transports of delight in Florence in A Room with a View.Maps, Mughal miniatures, gondolas, gardens, mountains and all the wonders of the world are subject matter for Laura Stoddart's exquisite pictures, peopled with her tiny but infinitely expressive figures. Humorous, affectionate with a sharp eye for human foibles, Explorations is the perfect theme for this talented young artist whose distinctive work has already brought her a devoted following.