Productomschrijving
Afmeting: 56 x 39 cm.
Handgekleurde en met arabische gom verfraaide lithographie van John Gould door Henry Constantine Richter. Uitgegeven door John Gould in Birds of Asia te London.
John Gould (1804 - 1881) was an English ornithologist and bird artist. He published a number of monographs on birds, illustrated by plates that he produced with the assistance of his wife, Elizabeth Gould, and several other artists including Edward Lear and Henry Constantine Richter. In 1824 he set himself up in business in London as a taxidermist, and his skill helped him to become the first Curator and Preserver at the museum of the Zoological Society of London in 1827. Gould's position brought him into contact with the country's leading naturalists. This meant that he was often the first to see new collections of birds given to the Zoological Society of London. In 1830 a collection of birds arrived from the Himalayas, many not previously described. Gould published these birds in A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains (1830–1832). This work was followed by Birds of Europe in five volumes (1837); The books were published in a very large size, imperial folio, with magnificent coloured plates. Eventually 41 of these volumes were published, with about 3000 plates. Gould succeeded in making his ventures pay, realising a fortune. Throughout his professional life Gould had a strong interest in hummingbirds. The inspiration for his work on hummingbirds was derived from travels in America. All of his works were very expensive at the time of publication, and could only be purchased by the very wealthy. It is estimated that only about 250 copies of the hummingbirds were produced, so these prints are a rare treasure indeed. Originally published in 25 parts with a 5 part supplement, the last three parts of the supplement were published posthumously by Sharpe. Of these six volumes of hummingbirds, consisting of 418 hand colored plates, even fewer have the highly prized gold or silver iridescence, produced by layering gold or silver leaf under the watercolor paint to mirror the shimmering beauty of each bird. This process is now lost to modern colorists and has become the hallmark of authenticity for Gould hummingbirds, as many now offered on the market are later editions without the characteristic gilding. So it is with great pleasure that we offer this authentic collection of hummingbird prints, some with the treasured iridescence, all from volume volume III, with the largest and showiest species. Donald Heald, the renowned American Book dealer, calls this volume 'the distilled essence of a masterpiece...the heart of the work'.
Throughout his professional life Gould had a strong interest in hummingbirds. The inspiration for his work on hummingbirds 'A Monograph of the Trochilidae or Family of Humming-Birds' (1849-1887) was derived from travels in America. All of his works were very expensive at the time of publication, and could only be purchased by the very wealthy. It is estimated that only about 250 copies of the hummingbirds were produced, so these prints are a rare treasure indeed. Originally published in 25 parts with a 5 part supplement, the last three parts of the supplement were published posthumously by Sharpe. Of these six volumes of hummingbirds, consisting of 418 hand colored plates, even fewer have the highly prized gold or silver iridescence, produced by layering gold or silver leaf under the watercolor paint to mirror the shimmering beauty of each bird. This process is now lost to modern colorists and has become the hallmark of authenticity for Gould hummingbirds, as many now offered on the market are later editions without the characteristic gilding. So it is with great pleasure that we offer this authentic collection of hummingbird prints, some with the treasured iridescence.
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