EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBafter John James Audubon (1785-1851)
About Seller
65 Sharp Street
Hingham, MA 02043
United States
Copley Fine Art Auctions is the world's leading American sporting art auction company. Located in Hingham, MA, Copley specializes in antique decoys and 19th- and 20th-century American, sporting, and wildlife paintings. Principal Stephen O'Brien Jr., a fourth-generation sportsman with a refined colle...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,500 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $25,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
About Auction
LiveFeb 12, 2015 - Feb 13, 2015
Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com
View Full Catalog (564)
- Lot Description
Great White Heron, 1835
hand-colored engraving, sheet size 26 1/8 by 39 1/8 in.
by Robert Havell"Great White Heron (No. 57, Plate CCLXXXI)"
"Ardea Occidentalis"
"Drawn from Nature by J. J. Audubon F.R.S.F.L.S." lower left
"Engraved, Printed, & Coloured by R. Havell, 1835" lower right
on J. Whatman watermarked paper
Audubon writes, “I am now about to present you with an account of the habits of the largest species of the Heron tribe hitherto found in the United States, and which is indeed remarkable not only for its great size, but also for the pure white of its plumage at every period of its life.”
“We observed a young Heron of this species stalking among the mangroves that bordered the key on which we were, and immediately pursued it. Had you been looking on, good Reader, you might have enjoyed a hearty laugh, although few of us could have joined you. Seven or eight persons were engaged in the pursuit of this single bird, which, with extended neck, wings, and legs, made off among the tangled trees..."
"At last we found ourselves in a deep channel beneath the hanging mangroves of a large key, where we had observed the Herons retiring to roost the previous evening. There we lay quietly until day-break. But the mosquitoes and sandflies! Reader, if you have not been in such a place, you cannot easily conceive the torments we endured for a whole hour, when it was absolutely necessary for us to remain perfectly motionless. At length day dawned...A Heron sprung from its perch almost directly over our heads...As the bird sped away, it croaked loudly, and the noise...roused some hundreds of these Herons, which flew from the mangroves, and in the grey light appeared to sail over and around us like so many spectres.”
“Many had alighted on the neighbouring key, and stood perched like so many newly finished statues of the purest alabaster, forming a fine contrast to the deep blue sky.”
“The Great White Heron is a constant resident on the Florida Keys...These Herons are sedate, quiet...they walk majestically, with firmness and great elegance...they flock at their feeding grounds, sometimes a hundred or more being seen together...While on these banks, they stand motionless, rarely moving towards their prey, but waiting until it comes near, when they strike it and swallow it alive...The flight of the Great White Heron is firm, regular, and greatly protracted."
“When I left Key West, on our return towards Charleston, I took with me two young birds...They were taken to my friend John Bachman, who was glad to see them. He kept a pair...They betook themselves to roosting in a beautiful arbour in his garden; where at night they looked with their pure white plumage like beings of another world...At last they began to pursue the younger children of my worthy friend… One of them was beautifully mounted by my assistant Mr. Henry Ward, and is now in the Museum of Charleston.”
Provenance: The Estate of Thomas W. Connally
Literature: Christoph Irmscher, ed. “John James Audubon: Writings & Drawings,” New York, NY, 1999, pp. 457-465, plate 47, illustrated.John James Audubon, "Birds of America, From Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories," London, England, 1826-1838.
- Shipping Info
-
Shipping info
Copley Fine Art Auctions does not handle the shipping of any items. Shipping is the sole responsibility of the buyer. Once your payment has cleared, and we have received your authorized shipping release form items may be released for shipment. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC shall have no liability for any loss or damage to such items. Buyers should allow up to four weeks for shipment.PLEASE BE AWARE THAT INTERNET BIDDERS MAY NOT PICK UP THEIR ITEMS AT THE SALE SITE. ITEMS CAN BE PICKED UP BY APPOINTMENT OR SHIPPED STARTING FIVE DAYS AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE SALE
-
- Buyer's Premium
