Thaumatis Linnaei

Reference: s26978
Author John GOULD
Year: 1875 ca.
Printed: London
Measures: 390 x 560 mm
€425.00

Reference: s26978
Author John GOULD
Year: 1875 ca.
Printed: London
Measures: 390 x 560 mm
€425.00

Description

Litografia tratta dal famoso The Birds of New Guinea and the Adjacent Papuan Islands, ultimo ed importantissimo lavoro di John Gould.


L’opera, tirata a soli 250 esemplari, è molto rara; iniziata nel 1875, fu completata da Richard Bowdler Sharpe nel 1888 a causa della morte di Gould.

 

John Gould (Lyme Regis, 14 settembre 1804 – Londra, 3 febbraio 1881) è stato un ornitologo e naturalista britannico. Destinato fin dalla giovinezza a seguire la carriera paterna di giardiniere presso il Castello di Windsor, grazie alle sue precoci conoscenze in tassidermia ebbe l'occasione di entrare a soli 23 anni (1827) nel Museo della Zoological Society di Londra, come conservatore. Gould affinò le sue conoscenze artistiche e scientifiche in ornitologia, consultando i migliori lavori del tempo, in particolari quelli di John James Audubon, William Swainson e Thomas Bewick. Tra il 1832 e il 1837 comparve The Birds of Europe, opera in 5 volumi e con ben 448 tavole litografate e colorate a mano. Per la gigantesca impresa Gould si valse della collaborazione della moglie e del celebre poeta e pittore inglese Edward Lear. Una prerogativa che salvò sin dall'inizio Gould dal tracollo economico fu quella di affrontare questi dispendiosi lavori facendoli uscire in sottoscrizione e a fascicoli.

 

Dopo un viaggio in Australia e in Tasmania, pubblicò, con l'aiuto di Elizabeth per i primi volumi, The Birds of Australia (1840-1848) in ben 7 volumi e 600 tavole, cui seguì tra il 1851 e il 1869 un Supplement di 81 tavole. Tra il 1862 e il 1873 pubblica The Birds of Great Britain, in 5 volumi e con 367 tavole. Pubblicò ben 41 libri, per un totale di 2999 tavole litografate e dipinte a mano, quasi tutte dedicate agli uccelli, consacrandosi così fra i più noti ornitologi inglesi dell'età vittoriana


Litografia, bellissima coloritura coeva, in ottimo stato di conservazione.

John GOULD (Lyme Regis 1804 – Londra 1881)

English ornithologist and bird artist. Gould's position brought him into contact with the country's leading naturalists, and also 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). The text was by Nicholas Aylward Vigors and the illustrations were lithographed by Gould's wife Elizabeth, daughter of Nicholas Coxen of Kent. Most of Gould's work were rough sketches on paper from which other artists created the lithographic plates. This work was followed by four more in the next seven years including Birds of Europe in five volumes – completed in 1837, with the text written by Gould himself, edited by his clerk Edwin Prince. Some of the illustrations were made by Edward Lear as part of his Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae in 1832. Lear however was in financial difficulty and he sold the entire set of lithographs to Gould. 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. In 1838 he and his wife moved to Australia to work on the Birds of Australia and shortly after his return to England, his wife died in 1841.

John GOULD (Lyme Regis 1804 – Londra 1881)

English ornithologist and bird artist. Gould's position brought him into contact with the country's leading naturalists, and also 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). The text was by Nicholas Aylward Vigors and the illustrations were lithographed by Gould's wife Elizabeth, daughter of Nicholas Coxen of Kent. Most of Gould's work were rough sketches on paper from which other artists created the lithographic plates. This work was followed by four more in the next seven years including Birds of Europe in five volumes – completed in 1837, with the text written by Gould himself, edited by his clerk Edwin Prince. Some of the illustrations were made by Edward Lear as part of his Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae in 1832. Lear however was in financial difficulty and he sold the entire set of lithographs to Gould. 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. In 1838 he and his wife moved to Australia to work on the Birds of Australia and shortly after his return to England, his wife died in 1841.