Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5

John James Audubon
Bell's Vireo: An Original 19th C. Audubon Hand-colored Bird Lithograph

1856

About the Item

This is an original 19th century John James Audubon hand-colored lithograph entitled "Bell's Vireo Male", No. 97, Plate 485 from Audubon's "Birds of America, lithographed, printed and colored by J. T. Bowen and published in Philadelphia in 1856. It depicts an adult male Bell's Vireo bird perched on a branch of a flowering plant facing to the left. This original hand-colored Bell's Vireo lithograph is in very good condition, other than a few edge chips and irregularity of the left edge where it was previously bound in the publication, all of which will be obscured by a frame mat. The image portion is in excellent condition. The sheet measures 10.25" high by 6.63" wide. John James Audubon (1785-1851) was a naturalist and artist. He was initially unsuccessful financially prior to the publication of his famous work “The Birds of America”, spending time in debtor’s prison, once stabbing a disgruntled investor in self-defense. However, his obsession with birds and art motivated him to persist in his goal of documenting every bird in America via his watercolor paintings and publishing his works for all to enjoy. Audubon's first illustrations were published in a large elephant folio size. Due to their expense they were purchased in rather small numbers by the wealthy. To reach a larger audience, Audubon, with the help of his sons and J. T. Bowen, published a smaller octavo sized lithograph version, which were much more affordable. With the success of his bird projects, Audubon then turned his attention to four-legged animals. He explored the Missouri River in 1843 sketching the four-legged animals he encountered in their natural setting. His expedition covered some of the same regions recently explored by Lewis and Clark, traveling from present day Alaska to Mexico. Audubon realized that this was an opportunity to document these animals in the still relatively pristine American wilderness, before man encroached on their environment. Between 1845 and 1848, Audubon and his sons John Woodhouse Audubon and Victor Gifford Audubon produced a set of elephant folio sized lithographs that were primarily engraved and hand colored by J. T. Bowen in Philadelphia. The publication, which included text descriptions of the animals was published 3 years before Audubon died. As with the birds, this was followed by a three-volume set of 155 octavo-sized plates entitled “The Quadrupeds of North America” completed and published by Audubon’s sons, John, Jr. and Victor. Audubon prints continue to be popular and a wise investment. The double elephant folio set “The Birds of America” have sold at auction for as much as $8.8 million, and individual plates may sell for six figures. The beautiful octavo sized plates are not as expensive, but becoming more sought after, as the folio bird plates become unattainable to all but the very wealthy.
  • Creator:
    John James Audubon (1785-1851, American, French)
  • Creation Year:
    1856
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 10.25 in (26.04 cm)Width: 6.63 in (16.85 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Framing:
    Framing Options Available
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Alamo, CA
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: # 43401stDibs: LU1173213514262
More From This SellerView All
  • American Coot: An Original 19th C. Audubon Hand-colored Bird Lithograph
    By John James Audubon
    Located in Alamo, CA
    This is an original 19th century John James Audubon hand-colored lithograph entitled "4128 Audubon, Purple Gallinule, Adult Male, Spring Plumage", No. 61, Plate 303 from Audubon's "B...
    Category

    Mid-19th Century Naturalistic Animal Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Red-cockaded Woodpecker: A First Octavo Edition Audubon Hand-colored Lithograph
    By John James Audubon
    Located in Alamo, CA
    This is an original John James Audubon hand-colored royal first octavo edition lithograph entitled "Red-cockaded Woodpecker, 1. 2. Male, 3. Female", No. 5...
    Category

    Mid-19th Century Naturalistic Animal Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Golden Eagle: An Original 19th C. Audubon Hand-colored Bird Lithograph
    By John James Audubon
    Located in Alamo, CA
    This is an original John James Audubon hand-colored lithograph entitled "Golden Eagle", No. 3, Plate 12 from Audubon's "Birds of America, lithographed, printed and colored by JT Bowe...
    Category

    Late 19th Century Naturalistic Animal Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • American Bittern: An Original 1st Ed. Audubon Hand-colored Bird Lithograph
    By John James Audubon
    Located in Alamo, CA
    This is an original 19th century 1st octavo edition John James Audubon hand-colored lithograph entitled "American Bittern, 1. Male 2. Female", No. 73, Plate 365 from Audubon's "Birds of America, lithographed, printed and colored by J. T. Bowen and published in Philadelphia between 1840-1844. It depicts male and female American Bittern birds standing on the ground, each looking in opposite directions. There is high grass in the background. This original 1st octavo edition hand-colored Audubon American Bittern lithograph is in excellent condition, other than a few tiny spots, which appear most likely inclusions related to the paper manufacture. The sheet measures 6.5" high by 10.25" wide. The original text pages, 94-98, from Audubon's 19th century publication are included with the lithograph. John James Audubon (1785-1851) was a naturalist and artist. He was initially unsuccessful financially prior to the publication of his famous work “The Birds of America”, spending time in debtor’s prison, once stabbing a disgruntled investor in self-defense. However, his obsession with birds and art motivated him to persist in his goal of documenting every bird in America via his watercolor paintings and publishing his works for all to enjoy. Audubon's first illustrations were published in a large elephant folio...
    Category

    Mid-19th Century Naturalistic Animal Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Blue-eyed Cockatoo: A Framed Original 19th C. Hand-colored Lithograph by Gould
    By John Gould and Henry Constantine Richter
    Located in Alamo, CA
    This is a framed original 19th century hand-colored folio-sized lithograph entitled “Cacatua Ophthalimica” (Blue-eyed Cockatoo) by John Gould, from the supplement to his "Birds of Australia", published in London between 1851 and 1869. The print depicts a large blue-eyed cockatoo perched on a branch, with its head turned to the left. The scene is enhanced with leaves and sky and clouds in the background. This striking framed Gould...
    Category

    Mid-19th Century Naturalistic Animal Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Thorn-Bill Hummingbirds: A Framed 19th C. Hand-colored Lithograph by Gould
    By John Gould and Henry Constantine Richter
    Located in Alamo, CA
    This is an original framed 19th century hand-colored folio-sized lithograph entitled "Ramphomicron vulcani" (Southern Thorn-Bill Hummingbirds) by John Gould, Pl. 186 from his "Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Hummingbirds", published in London in 1853. The print depicts two Southern Thorn-Bill hummingbirds sitting on branches of a flowering plant. This striking framed Gould hand-colored lithograph is presented in a antiqued gold frame, a gold-colored fillet, and a light tan French mat, embellished with a mint-colored broad band. The frame measures 32" high, 25.5" wide and 1.25" thick. The hand-coloring is enhanced by the use of gum-arabic paint...
    Category

    Mid-19th Century Naturalistic Animal Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

You May Also Like

Recently Viewed

View All