John Gould White-fronted Honeyeater, Glyciphila albifrons print

by Gould, John

John Gould Australian White-fronted Honey-eater, Glyciphila albifront.

Lansdowne reproduction from a hand-coloured lithograph by Henry Constantine Richter for "Birds of Australia" by John Gould, published in London between 1840 and 1848.

Known as 'the Bird Man', John Gould was a naturalist whose passion was the field of ornithology. He combined his good eye for detail with his business acumen. Obtaining wealthy subscribers prior to each venture, he employed the finest lithographers, and his artist wife, Elizabeth Gould (1804-1841) and monitored them closely to publish large hand-coloured bird lithographs that are some of thefinest ever produced.

While most people have heard of John Gould, many do not know that his wife Elizabeth was trained in lithography by the great bird artist, Edward Lear. Elizabeth Gould refined her husband's field sketches and completed over 600 lithographs for her husband's grand publications - until she died after the birth of their eighth child. Edward Lear completed her unfinished work.

This image is in good condition, of original published size, 53 x 37cm (21 x 14.5 inches). The paper is not as thick as the original lithographs were, and the ink colour does not have the same longevity as early colour. We recommend conservation materials and U/V protective glass to minimize fading.