$400
John James Laforest Audubon (American, 1785-1851), "Blue Gosbeak"-1860, plate No. 240, from "The Birds of America", chromolithograph printed by Julius Bien (American, 1826-1909), New York. Ornithological chromolithograph print on paper depicting three blue grosbeaks (a male, a female and a young bird) perched in dog-wood branches with nest. Lower left with "Chromolithy by J. Bien, New York 1860"; lower center with “Blue Gosbeak Fringilla Cærulea Bonap Male 1. Female 2. Young 3. Dog-wood Cornus Florida”; lower right with “Drawn from Nature by J.J. Audubon, F,R,S. F,L,S." Framed approximately 41.75" x 32”. Sight size approximately 32.25” x 22.6”. Note: John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) is--without question--the greatest and most influential illustrator of birds in the history of ornithological illustration. His magnum opus, The Birds of America (1827-1838), took twelve years to complete. The 435 hand-colored aquatint engravings, rendered by Robert Havell, made up an exhaustive and masterful catalog of North American birds. The original printing is known among Audubon collectors and scholars as the "Havell Edition", so named for the original engraver. In 1842 Audubon issued the "Octavo Edition," a smaller format (and more affordable) edition intended to reach a larger audience. The "Bien Edition" was produced between 1858 and 1860 and was the first edition of Audubon’s work to utilize the newly emerging and, at the time highly experimental, chromolithograph
Auctioneer:
Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery
Date:
2016-04-30
