John Gould Australian Pteropodocys Phasianella Ground Cuckoo print

$40.00

John Gould Australian Ground Cuckoo, Pteropodocys Phasianella reproduction print, published by Lansdowne Press in 1974 and limited to 500 copies. This image was reproduced from a hand-coloured lithograph by Henry Constantine Richter after the drawing by John Gould for his "Birds of Australia", published in London between 1840 and 1848.

John Gould (1804-1881), known as "the Bird Man", was a naturalist whose love was the field ornithology. He combined his good eye for detail with his business acumen, and with the assistance of his artist wife Elizabeth and a select few other lithographers of the day, illustrated the birds of different regions of the world. Whilst most people have heard of John Gould, many do not know that his wife Elizabeth prepared and lithographed over 600 works from notations and sketches by her husband. She died in 1841 after the birth of their eighth child following their return from Australia. By obtaining wealthy subscribers prior to each venture, John Gould was able to publish this series of superb hand-coloured lithographs that have not been surpassed to this day.

This image is of original published size, 21 x 14.5 inches (approx. 53 x 37cm) and in good condition. The paper is not as thick as the original lithographs were, and the ink colour does not have the same longevity as early colour, so we would recommend the use of U/V protective glass to minimize fading. The page is larger than the scanner, so we have shown the main part of the image. If you would like further information or scans please let us know.