GOULD, John (1804-1881) - photo 1
GOULD, John (1804-1881) - photo 2
GOULD, John (1804-1881) - photo 3
GOULD, John (1804-1881) - photo 4
GOULD, John (1804-1881) - photo 5

GOULD, John (1804-1881)

Lot 145
11.12.2024 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
To bid, go to the website
CHRISTIE'S
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
ID 1349754
Lot 145 | GOULD, John (1804-1881)
Estimate value
£ 30 000 – 50 000
GOULD, John (1804-1881)
The Birds of Great Britain. London: Taylor and Francis for the author, 1862-1873
'The most sumptuous and costly of British bird books' in the original parts. Gould was especially proud of this work, and it 'was seen - perhaps partly because its subject was British, as the culmination of [his] ... genius' (Isabella Tree, The Ruling Passion of John Gould, London: 1991, p.207). The text is longer than in any of his other works, and the plates are amongst the finest Gould produced. Joseph Wolf, who drew 57 of the plates, had accompanied Gould on an ornithological tour of Scandinavia in 1856, and was responsible for persuading Gould and H.C. Richter to adopt a livelier treatment of the illustrations.

Notwithstanding the irony that much of the artwork was prepared from freshly killed specimens, the preface and text shows Gould’s acute understanding of the human threat to wildlife well before such views were commonplace:
‘Unfortunately, however, of late years vast numbers of certain species have been destroyed, either wantonly, or for senseless purposes of decoration instigated by fashion; and to such an extent has this been carried out it has become necessary to enact laws for their protection’ (Preface, p.ix). Sauer 23; Zimmer p.261; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.102; Wood p.365; Nissen IVB 372.

5 volumes, large folio (542 x 372mm). 367 fine hand-coloured lithographic plates, most heightened with gum-arabic, by Gould, Henry Constantine Richter, Joseph Wolf and William Hart, printed by Walter or Walter & Cohn, 2 wood-engraved illustrations, 5pp. subscribers’ list (some light spotting to endpapers and extending faintly onto 3 titles, occasional scattered light spotting to introductory text in vol 1 mainly affecting gatherings P-Q, 2C-2E and 2I-2K, occasional faint scattered spotting with it confined to the margins of about 30 plates and 14 more heavily affected as well as their adjacent text leaves, one text leaf in vol. 3 with tiny marginal tear). Contemporary green morocco, sides with large gilt borders, spines with double raised bands in 6 compartments, lettered in second and third, the others with large gilt ornamental decoration, yellow glazed endpapers, gilt turn-ins and edges (occasional faint rubbing to extremities). Provenance: Hermann Marx (c.1881-1947, German-born British stockbroker, banker, and a noted print and book collector; bookplates).
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
11.12.2024 – 11.12.2024
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

More from Creator

The Birds of Europe
The Birds of Europe
$35 000
GOULD, John (1804-1881)
GOULD, John (1804-1881)
£30 000
GOULD, John (1804-1881) and Nicholas Aylward VIGORS (1787-1840)
GOULD, John (1804-1881) and Nicholas Aylward VIGORS (1787-1840)
£20 000
GOULD, John (1804-1881)
GOULD, John (1804-1881)
£30 000
GOULD, John (1804-1881)
GOULD, John (1804-1881)
£25 000
GOULD, John (1804-1881)
GOULD, John (1804-1881)
€10 000
GOULD, John (1804-1881)
GOULD, John (1804-1881)
€30 000

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.
?>