John Gould (British, 1804-1881) "Grus Cinerea" from "The Birds of Great Britain," Volume 4, Wolf and Hart, ca. 1862 to 1873. An original hand-colored lithograph by Britain's most renowned 19th century ornithologist, John Gould, from the first edition of "Birds of Great Britain", an which is now exceedingly rare! In the arena of ornithological works, this piece stands out as one of Gould’s masterworks. Fine Bird Books has given it a very strong endorsement with 3 stars. The hand coloring is so skillfully executed with vibrant hues, beautiful contrasts of light and shadow, and subtle gradations of tone. In short, this piece is superb and would make a delightful addition to any collection. the culmination of a life spent in the world of nature and of many years experience in bird art and 19th century publishing. Size: 22" W x 15" H (55.9 cm x 38.1 cm); 26" W x 19" H (66 cm x 48.3 cm) with mat

Gould was a revered self-taught English ornithologist and naturalist whose prints are regaled for their veristic renderings. His accuracy in capturing the traits of each bird species was the result of years of study. "The Birds of Great Britain" was a five volume set of 367 species of birds and took eleven years to complete. During his lifetime, Gould was respected as a leading ornithological authority. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1843. The finest ornithological artists of the day worked for and also collaborated with Gould. These included Edward Lear, W. M. Hart, H. C. Richter, and Joseph Wolf. Wolf, whom some consider the finest artist of his age, contributed 57 drawings to "The Birds of Great Britain" including this composition.

Provenance: private Lucille Lucas collection, Crested Butte, Colorado, USA

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#133904

Small tears/losses to edges of sheet that do not interfere with the hand-colored lithograph's composition. Paper has darkened a bit as is commensurate with age.