Gould Birds - TROGON MEXICANUS - Antique Hand-Colored Lithogrpah - 1838

JOHN GOULD - HAND-COLORED LITHOGRAPH

This 173 year old antique hand-colored lithograph is from John Gould's "A MONOGRAPH OF THE TROGONIDAE of FAMILY of TROGONS", published in London by the author in 1838.

John Gould (1804-1881) was one of the most prominent natural history print artists creating almost 3,000 different hand-­colored lithographic plates of birds and animals. He was born in England. Gould had no formal university training and considered himself a self-made man. He gained his ornithological knowledge by observation and experience. Nevertheless his contributions to this science were so vast that in 1843 he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
In his pursuit of new and different birds, John Gould traveled to Asia, Australia and the East Indies. His series of natural history plates is considered by many as the finest works of bird illustrations ever created.

Making these prints was technically and artistically demanding. Gould's original sketches were transferred to stone with special pencils or chalk. They were printed by hand from the stones and then each print was hand-colored, and issued in small sets only to subscribers. As the prints were very expensive only a few hundred of the wealthiest people and institutions could afford them, accounting for their rarity today.

This print is rare. The set of books containing the Trogon Mexicanus, Swains, sells for up to $150,000 on the Internet. I found only two copies of this specific print for sale and they were from a more recent publication.

CONDITION

The antique bird print is in good condition, with usual age toning. It is signed in the print by J. gould & W. Hart. The image is about 13" x 11 1/2" on a page that is about 19" x 14", blank on the reverse. I believe that the print may have been slightly trimmed. The engraving is suitable for framing and would make an excellent gift. 

To read more information regarding lithographs and other antique print methods and types, CLICK BELOW:

http://www.sandtique-rare-prints.com/Glossary.html

The hand colored lithograph that is being

offered for sale features:

   JOHN GOULD'S "TROGON     MEXICANUS, SWAINS"

(Young male and female)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Hill fait paraître General Natural History (deux volumes, 1748 - 1752 ), Useful Family Herbal ( 1754 ), British Herbal ( 1756 - 1757 ), Eden, or Compleat Body of Gardening ( 1757 ), Exotic Botany ( 1759 , deuxième édition 1772 ), Hortus Keweensis ( 1768 ), Flora Britanica ( 1760 ), Herbarium Britannicum ( 1769 - 1770 ), Virtues of British Herbs ( 1770 ), Decade of Curious and Elegand Trees and Plants ( 1773 ), Twenty-five New Plants, rais'd in the Royal Garden of Kew ( 1773 ). Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin (1727-1817) lui dédie en 1760 le genre Hillia de la famille des Rubiaceae . Hill issued General Natural History (two volumes, 1748 - 1752 ), Useful Family Herbal ( 1754 ), Herbal British ( 1756 - 1757 ), Eden, Gold Compleat Body of Gardening ( 1757 ) Exotic Botany ( 1759 , second edition 1772 ) , Hortus Keweensis ( 1768 ), Flora Britannica ( 1760 ), Britannicum Herbarium ( 1769 - 1770 ), Virtues of British Herbs ( 1770 ), Decade of Curious and Elegand Trees and Plants ( 1773 ), Twenty-Five New Plants, rais'd in the Royal Garden of Kew ( 1773 ). Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin (1727-1817) dedicated to him in 1760 the kind Hillier of the family of Rubiaceae .