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GOULD AND SHARPE, A MONOGRAPH OF THE TROCHILIDAE, OR FAMILY OF HUMMING-BIRDS. LONDON, [1849]-1861, 5 VOLUMES
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 GBP
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Description
- A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds. London: Taylor and Francis for the Author, [1849]-1861
5 volumes, large folio (557 x 373mm.), list of subscribers, list of plates in each volume, 360 hand-coloured lithographed plates, many highlighted with varnish and metallic paints, by Gould, H.C. Richter and William Hart, contemporary green morocco-backed boards, top edge gilt, minor occasional spotting or dampstaining, bindings slightly rubbed
Literature
Anker 177; Fine Bird Books, p.78; Nissen IVB 380; Sauer 16, 29; Wood, p.365; Zimmer pp.258, 263-264
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
"THE TROCHILIDIAE OF GOULD IS HIS MASTERPIECE, AND MUST EVER REMAIN A FEAST OF BEAUTY AND A SOURCE OF WONDER" (Fine Bird Books). John Gould (1804-1881), also known as “The Bird Man”, was born in Lyme Regis, Dorset, the son of John Gould, a gardener, and his wife Elizabeth Clatworthy. Gould’s training was as a taxidermist rather than an artist, and in 1828 he was appointed animal preserver at the museum of the Zoological Society of London. The striking nature of Gould’s work is the result of many factors. He was a master of arranging the birds, flaunting the characteristics of their plumage while also creating movement. With his family background in horticulture Gould had a great understanding of the natural surroundings, and would always choose plants where the birds would be found.
Gould himself did not execute finished drawings for any of his works, but he did provide rough pencil or watercolour sketches with notes for his artists to work from, and was the moving spirit behind the grand conception of the plates. The artists he employed – including his wife Elizabeth, Edward Lear, Joseph Wolf, Henry Richter and Joseph Hart – were among the most accomplished of their generation. For the production of A Monograph of the Trochilidae, a new technical process had to be invented to truly reflect the brilliance of the shining, metal-like feathers of the humming-birds. The mid-Victorian art of reproducing the metallic plumage is now lost.
Gould himself did not execute finished drawings for any of his works, but he did provide rough pencil or watercolour sketches with notes for his artists to work from, and was the moving spirit behind the grand conception of the plates. The artists he employed – including his wife Elizabeth, Edward Lear, Joseph Wolf, Henry Richter and Joseph Hart – were among the most accomplished of their generation. For the production of A Monograph of the Trochilidae, a new technical process had to be invented to truly reflect the brilliance of the shining, metal-like feathers of the humming-birds. The mid-Victorian art of reproducing the metallic plumage is now lost.