John Gould. Two Prints: Magpie. [and:] Fuligula Marila. Two hand-colored lithographs from Gould's Birds of Great Brita... (Total: 2 Items)

Description

The Magpie print is in generally excellent condition except for a very faint mat burn. [and:] Fuligula Marila is in very good condition with overall toning, a small chip to the top edge, and some faint smudges; bottom of sheet shows a (ragged) binding edge. Both have light penciled notations. 14.25 x 21 inches, and 21.5 x 14.75 inches.

John Gould (1804-1881), sometimes referred to as "the British Audubon" because of the impact and profound influence of his work, was a remarkably prolific artist and publisher of ornithological works. Gould studied taxidermy as a teenager, and became so expert at it that he became the first curator at the Zoological Society of London. He began drawing birds, and with the assistance of several artists (such as his wife Elizabeth and Edward Lear), his publications contained illustrations not only beautiful but scientifically accurate. His favorite work, A Monograph of the Trochilidæ, or Family of Humming Birds, its plates highlighted with metallic iridescent colors, has been called Gould's "masterpiece" and "among the most beautiful of Victorian illustrated books" - "a feast of beauty and a source of wonder" (Sitwell). Gould left an unparalleled body of work, and we are proud to here offer many of his beautiful imperial folio prints.