Bird painting on £252k high

THE "most daring" and magnificent painting by the Scot described as "the greatest ornithological artist ever", has set a new world record for the artist, at £252,000.

The classic watercolour, Peacock and Peacock Butterfly, by city-born Archibald Thorburn, was sold at Bonhams' sale of 19th century paintings in New Bond Street, London yesterday. The masterpiece, completed in 1917 when the artist was aged 57, depicts a large peacock "proudly displaying his extravagant plumage, in contrast to the delicate and beautifully detailed peacock butterfly in the foreground".

Thorburn, renowned for his beautiful images of birds with evocative countryside backgrounds, once described how he had "nightmares" of endlessly painting the eyes on the peacock tail feathers.