Gould Australian Northern Rosella. Platycercus Brownii, Brown's Parrakeets c1848

by Gould, John

John Gould Australian Birds antique print, Brown's Parrakeet.

Stunning original hand-coloured lithograph of Australian Parrots by Henry Constantine Richter for John Gould's The Birds of Australia (the finest illustrations ever published of Australian Birds), published in London between 1840 and 1848 by 'The Bird Man', John Gould (1804-1881). 

John Gould was a brilliant ornithologist who devoted his life to the study of birds. An astute businessman, Gould obtained subscribers prior to the enormous expenses for each grand publication. Gould travelled to Australia and sketched each bird in its habitat. His wife, artist Elizabeth Gould stayed in Tasmania with their oldest son (and gave birth to their youngest son), and refined her husbands sketches for each lithograph that was done after their return to England. John Gould employed the finest lithographers of the day and closely monitored their work. Elizabeth Gould (1804-1841) completed around 600 large bird  lithographs for her husband. Having been coached in lithography by the Zoological Museum's great bird artist, Edward Lear (1812-1888), Lear completed her unfinished lithographs when she died after the birth of their eighth child.

This superb lithograph has beautiful contemporary colour, and is of course much nicer than the illustrated digital image. As issued, page measures 535 mm x 370 mm (21 inches x 14.5 inches). This beautioful lithograph is currently mounted between conservation matboard embellished with narrow complimentary marble-paper trim. Please request picture with decorated mount and backboard, there may be a surcharge for shipment.