十八世紀英國博物學家Mark Catesby (1682-1749)所出版的《自然史》是第一本廣泛收集北美洲物種的彩色博物學插圖書籍。其插圖畫面採用無背景動植物組合的形式，與傳統風格大不相同，是博物學插圖上的創新。雖然有零星的博物學畫家受到此風格影響，但是這種創新風格無法被持續的傳承下去。 本論文欲以其插圖風格的建立及傳承情形，來探究此創新風格出現所代表的意義。第一章將研究Catesby 與其贊主的互動及參考的圖像，藉以瞭解其插圖風格的影響來源。第二章依出版順序比對《自然史》的水彩原稿與版畫，以顯現這種創新風格建立的過程。第三章彙整當時人對《自然史》的評價與對其風格的改作，以釐清《自然史》及其插圖的創新風格受到忽視之緣由。經以上研究可發現同時身為園藝家的Catesby 重視植物研究，並以植物為觀察生物關聯的出發點。此不同於傳統的博物學家觀點與Catesby 在畫技上的取捨，造就了無背景動植物組合的風格。這個創新風格反映了領先於十八世紀的自然觀，更呈現動植物搭配的美感，其價值直到二十世紀才又在西方受到廣泛的注意。;The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, the first account of the flora and fauna of North America, was published in 1731 and 1743 by Mark Catesby (1682-1749), who was an eighteenth-century British naturalist. The combination of flora and fauna without background in Natural History illustrations was an innovation in comparison to the traditional style. But this innovation did not become the mainstream in natural history illustrations and was soon forgotten. This thesis attempts to explore how Catesby’s innovative style could be established, and the significance of the emergence of this innovation. In the first chapter, I examine the interaction between Catesby and his sponsors and the images he may have consulted, so as to understand the possible influences on his style. In chapter two, I compare the watercolors and etchings of Natural History illustrations to show the process of the establishment of this innovative style. In the third chapter, I explore the contemporary comments on Natural History and adaptations of this style to clarify why the innovation was neglected. According to these studies, we can find that Catesby, who was also a gardener, observed birds and other creatures through their relationship to trees and plants, and this was different from the traditional viewpoint of natural history illustrators. The style of Natural History illustrations, which originated in Catesby’s natural outlook, conveyed a specific aesthetic and insight into the relationship between flora and fauna. It was not until the twentieth century that this innovation began to receive attention in the West.
