This splendid hand-colored, folio-size lithograph, Red-Breasted Merganser. Mergus serrator (Meyer), from John Gould’s (1804-1881) monumental book "Birds Europe" (1832-1837) is in good condition with evidence of previous repair of rip on top margin and light staining throughout. Measuring 15" x 22", this lithograph magnificently displays the author’s scientific skill and attention to detail. These Red-Breasted Mergansers are extremely well colored in rich shades of chestnut, black and gray with white accents. The male in the foreground has more colorful plumage than his female counterpart in the background, although both have intricate feather patterns on their bodies. John Gould was an English ornithologist, self-taught artist and naturalist. Gould first worked as a gardener under his father in the Royal Gardens of Windsor from 1818-1824, where he began his illustrations. He became an expert taxidermist, opening his own practice in London in 1824 and in 1827 he became the first Curator and Preserver at the museum of the Zoological Society of London. Through his work he was able to meet with the country’s leading naturalists and view new collections of birds given to the Zoological Society. His interest in birds was continually developing and in 1830 he published his first volume on birds, “A Century of Birds From the Himalaya Mountains.” For the next fifty years, Gould, his wife and artists working with them traveled around Asia, the East Indies and Australia. His wife Elizabeth and other artists were able to transfer his sketches to stone; hand print and hand-color them. One of the most accomplished and engaging natural history works of the 19th century, “The Birds of Europe” was also the first of Gould's works to feature plates by Edward Lear. A total of sixty-eight images bear Lear's name, and they are among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made. Lear endowed his illustrations with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, and his style is at once fl
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
