John Gould (Greenland Gyrfalcon) Falco Candicans

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Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art...

By Artemis Gallery

Mar 9, 2023

Set Reminder 2023-03-09 10:00:00 2023-03-09 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-ancient-ethnographic-fine-art-12354
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• Lot Description
  **First Time At Auction**
  
  John Gould (British, 1804-1881). "(Greenland Gyrfalcon) Falco Candicans" - an original antique hand-colored lithograph of the Greenland Falcon, adult and young, colored by hand after J. Wolf and H.C. Richter, printed by Walter, ca. 1862-1873. An outstanding and impressively large plate from John Gould's "The Birds of Great Britain" published from 1862 to 1873. Generally regarded as Gould's masterpiece, "The Birds of Great Britain" represents the culmination of Gould's lifelong work in the natural world as well as his immense experience in avian art. According to R. Bowdler Sharpe, "Such beautiful illustrations as those of the Birds of Great Britain scarcely existed before and are not likely to be surpassed." Indeed this piece - "Falco Candicans" - demonstrates impressive draftmanship and superb hand coloring. In addition, Sacheverell Sitwell described "Falco Candicans" as "The most popular of all his works" (Fine Bird Books). A remarkable masterwork from Gould's "The Birds of Great Britain" mounted in an exceptional frame that was artistically designed with carefully selected, museum-quality materials. Size (sight view): 20" L x 14.25" W (50.8 cm x 36.2 cm) Size (frame): 33.625" L x 27.625" W (85.4 cm x 70.2 cm)
  
  Please note, all of Gould's illustrations were meticulously hand colored like this example. In the preface of "The Birds of Great Britain" Gould states, "Many of the public are quite unaware how the colouring of these large plates is accomplished; and not a few believe that they are produced by some mechanical process or by chromo-lithography. This, however, is not the case; every sky with its varied tints and every feather of each bird were coloured by hand; and when it is considered that nearly two hundred and eighty thousand illustrations in the present work have been so treated, it will most likely cause some astonishment to those who give the subject a thought".
  
  John Gould was an ornithologist, a self-taught artist, as well as a naturalist. From 1818 to 1824, Gould was a gardener working under his father in the Royal Gardens of Windsor, where he began creating illustrations. In time, he became an accomplished taxidermist, opening his own practice in London in 1824. In 1827, Gould became the first Curator and Preserver at the museum of the Zoological Society of London. His interest in birds kept developing, and in 1830 he published "A Century of Birds From the Himalaya Mountains" - his first volume on birds. For the next fifty years, Gould, his wife Elizabeth, and several other artist collaborators sojourned throughout the world to depict and describe hundreds of avian species in their natural environs. 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, Joseph Wolf, and H. C. Richter.
  
  Printed at lower center: FALCO CANDICANS, J.F. GMEL. Greenland Falcon light race adult and young
  
  Printed at lower left: J. Wolf & H. C. Richter, del et lith
  
  Printed at lower right: Walter Imp.
  
  Cf. Fine Bird Books (1990), p. 102; cf. Nissen IVB 372; cf. Sauer 23; cf. Wood p. 365; cf. Zimmer p. 261.
  
  Provenance: private Colorado Collection; Private Collection of a Private Colorado Family
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #176977

  Condition

  This is an originial antique, hand-colored lithograph. It is not a later reproduction. It is mounted in a custom, museum-quality frame behind glass. While not examined outside the frame, it appears to be in outstanding condition with vivid imagery and hand coloring. Framing is of an impressive design, made with carefully selected, museum-quality molding and materials. Frame has a few minute chips as shown, but is otherwise excellent, fit with suspension wire, and ready to display.
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