A set of four of exceptional quality 19th century hand-coloured lithographs, in beautiful early 20th century walnut frames. From John Gould (1804-1881), The Birds of Great Britain, London: Taylor and Francis, 1862–1873.

Why we like them

Often referred to as the most sumptuous and costly of all British bird books, these beautifully hand-coloured, exquisite plates will adorn the most elaborate or minimalist interiors.

"His hand-coloured lithographic plates, more than 3300 in total, are called 'Gould plates'. Although he did not paint the final illustrations, this description is largely correct: he was the collector (especially in Australia) or purchaser of the specimens, the taxonomist, the publisher, the agent, and the distributor of the parts or volumes. He never claimed he was the artist for these plates, but repeatedly wrote of the 'rough sketches' he made from which, with reference to the specimens, his artists painted the finished drawings. The design and natural arrangement of the birds on the plates was due to the genius of John Gould, and a Gould plate has a distinctive beauty and quality. His wife was his first artist. She was followed by Edward Lear, Henry Constantine Richter, William Matthew Hart, and Joseph Wolf" (Gordon C. Sauer for DNB). 

Dimensions

~19 in x 26.5 in
~48 cm x 67 cm