Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 24

John James Audubon
Arctic Fox /// Natural History Animal John James Audubon Watercolor Lithograph

1845-1848

About the Item

Artist: John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) Title: "Arctic Fox" (Plate 121, No. 25) Portfolio: The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, Imperial Bowen Edition Year: 1845-1848 Medium: Original Hand-Colored Lithograph on Elephant Folio wove paper Limited edition: 300 Printer: John T. Bowen, Philadelphia, PA Publisher: John James Audubon and Rev. John Bachman, Philadelphia, PA Framing: Recently framed in a wood moulding and rag matting from Holland Framed size: 29.63" x 35.25" Sheet size: 22" x 28" Image size: 17" x 24.75" Condition: The sheet is laid down to board. A few foxmarks. Some surface abrasions, mainly to brown fox in upper left area, which have since been skillfully restored. It is otherwise in good condition with clean paper and strong colors Rare Notes: Provenance: private collection - a doctor and ornithologist, Augusta, ME. Lithography and hand-coloring by American artist John T. Bowen (1801-c.1856). Comes from Audubon's famous book "The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America", Imperial Bowen Edition (1845-1848), which consists of 150 hand-colored prints, made from lithographed plates. The Arctic fox, also known as the white fox, polar fox, or snow fox, is a small fox native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. It is well adapted to living in cold environments, and is best known for its thick, warm fur that is also used as camouflage. John James Audubon’s last major accomplishment was the creation of "The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America" (Imperial Bowen Edition) which was produced in collaboration with his friend, the Reverend John Bachman (1790-1874), a Lutheran minister and naturalist from Charleston, SC, who wrote the accompanying text. In the summer of 1843, John James Audubon embarked with his son, John Woodhouse, on a final drawing expedition up the Missouri River to document and depict the four-legged mammals of North America. Produced from 1845 to 1848 by the distinguished Philadelphia printmaker, John T. Bowen, the set of 150 black-and-white lithographs was completely hand-colored. This Imperial Bowen edition was published in three volumes of 50 prints each in 1845, 1846 and 1848, in an total edition size of approx. 300. These prints were published in imperial folio size, also defined as the elephant size, measuring 22 by 28 inches. Many of the mammals were drawn by John Woodhouse Audubon with backgrounds contributed by Victor Gifford Audubon. Biography: John James Audubon (April 26, 1785, Les Cayes, Saint-Domingue (later Haiti) – January 27, 1851 (aged 65) Manhattan, New York, U.S.), born Jean-Jacques Audubon, was an American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats. His major work, a color-plate book entitled The Birds of America (1827–1839), is considered one of the finest ornithological works ever completed. Audubon identified 25 new species.
  • Creator:
    John James Audubon (1785-1851, American, French)
  • Creation Year:
    1845-1848
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 29.63 in (75.27 cm)Width: 35.25 in (89.54 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Saint Augustine, FL
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU121211476022

More From This Seller

View All
Platalea Leucorodia (Spoonbill) /// Ornithology John Gould Animal Art Shorebird
By John Gould
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: John Gould (English, 1804-1881) Title: "Platalea Leucorodia (Spoonbill)" (Vol. 4, Plate 32) Portfolio: The Birds of Great Britain Year: 1862-1873 Medium: Original Hand-Colored Lithograph on wove paper Limited edition: approx. 750 Printer: Walter or Walter & Cohn, London, UK Publisher: Taylor and Francis, John Gould, London, UK Reference: Sauer No. 23; Ayer/Zimmer page 261; Wood page 365; Nissen No. IVB 372; Sitwell page 78 Framing: Recently beautifully framed in a gold Neo-Classical moulding with gold filet and 100% cotton rag matting from Holland. All archival Framed size: 23.5" x 30" Sheet size: 14.75" x 21.5" Image size: 12.5" x 19.5" Condition: One small tear at upper right edge which has been skillfully repaired from verso. Light mat stain in margins and one small area of discoloration upper left center. It is otherwise in very good condition with strong colors Notes: Provenance: private collection - Williamsburg, VA. Lithography and hand-coloring by John Gould and English artist Henry Constantine Richter (1821-1902). Comes from Gould's five volume "The Birds of Great Britain", (1862-1873) (First edition), which consists of 367 hand-colored lithographs. Other contributing lithographers were German artist Joseph Wolf...
Category

1860s Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph

Roseate Spoonbill /// John James Audubon Natural History Ornithology Bird Art
By John James Audubon
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) Title: "Roseate Spoonbill" (Plate 362, No. 73) Portfolio: The Birds of America, First Royal Octavo Edition Year: 1840-1844 Medium: Original Hand-Colored Lithograph on wove paper Limited edition: approx. 1,200 Printer: John T. Bowen, Philadelphia, PA Publisher: John James Audubon and J.B. Chevalier, New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA Sheet size: 6.69" x 10.5" Image size: 5" x 7.63" Condition: Minor toning and faint offsetting to sheet. In otherwise excellent condition with strong colors Very rare The "Roseate Spoonbill" is one of the very top, absolute most desirable birds from Audubon's famous "Birds of America" series Notes: Provenance: private collection - San Francisco, CA. Lithography and hand-coloring by American artist John T. Bowen (1801-c.1856). Comes from Audubon's famous seven volume portfolio "The Birds of America", First Royal Octavo Edition (1840-1844), which consists of 500 hand-colored lithographs. The sheet interestingly still retains two of its original binding strings across its bottom edge. Based on a composition painted in Florida in 1831 or 1832. "This beautiful and singular bird" was prized for its wings and tail feathers which were made into fans in St. Augustine. The roseate spoonbill is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America. The roseate spoonbill's pink color is diet-derived, consisting of the carotenoid pigment canthaxanthin, like the American flamingo. To make 'The Birds of America' more affordable and widely available, in 1839 John James Audubon began the first octavo edition, a smaller version of the folio which was printed and hand-colored by J. T. Bowen in Philadelphia. Employing a new invention, the camera lucida, the images were reduced in size, rendered in intermediate drawings by John James Audubon and his son John Woodhouse, and then drawn onto lithographic stones. These miniatures exhibit a remarkable amount of attention to quality and detail, as well as a meticulous fidelity to the larger works. Some compositional changes were made in order to accommodate the smaller format. Like the Havell edition, John James Audubon’s first...
Category

1840s Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph

Chrysocolaptes Xanthocephalus (Yellow-faced flameback) /// John Gould Ornitholog
By John Gould
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: John Gould (English, 1804-1881) Title: "Chrysocolaptes Xanthocephalus (Yellow-faced flameback)" (Vol. 6, Plate 37) Portfolio: The Birds of Asia Year: 1850-1883 Medium: Origin...
Category

1850s Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph

Snowy Heron /// John James Audubon Natural History Ornithology Snowy Egret Bird
By John James Audubon
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) Title: "Snowy Heron" (Plate 374, No. 75) Portfolio: The Birds of America, First Royal Octavo Edition Year: 1840-1844 Medium: Original...
Category

1840s Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph

Yellow Shanks Snipe (South Carolina) /// Bird Ornithology John James Audubon
By John James Audubon
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) Title: "Yellow Shanks Snipe (South Carolina)" (Plate 344, No. 69) Portfolio: The Birds of America, First Royal Octavo Edition Year: 1840-1844 Medium: Original Hand-Colored Lithograph on wove paper Limited edition: approx. 1,200 Printer: John T. Bowen, Philadelphia, PA Publisher: John James Audubon and J.B. Chevalier, New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA Framing: Framed in a faux wood moulding with fabric matting and gold filet Framed size: 11.25" x 14.25" Sheet size: approx. 10" x 6.5" Image size: 5.13" x 8.5" Condition: Some wear to framing. In otherwise very good condition with strong colors Notes: Provenance: private collection - St. Louis, MO. Lithography and hand-coloring by American artist John T. Bowen (1801-c.1856). Comes from Audubon's famous seven volume portfolio "The Birds of America", First Royal Octavo Edition (1840-1844), which consists of 500 hand-colored lithographs. Based on a composition probably painted near Charleston in 1832. The exceptionally beautiful depiction of the marshy habitat is the work of Audubon's assistant, George Lehman. The lesser yellowlegs is a medium-sized shorebird. The genus name Tringa is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading...
Category

1840s Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Watercolor

Bonaparte’s Flycatching-Warbler (Great Magnolia) /// Ornithology Bird Audubon
By John James Audubon
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) Title: "Bonaparte’s Flycatching-Warbler (Great Magnolia)" (Plate 73, No. 15) Portfolio: The Birds of America, First Royal Octavo Edition Year: 1840-1844 Medium: Original Hand-Colored Lithograph on wove paper Limited edition: approx. 1,200 Printer: John T. Bowen, Philadelphia, PA Publisher: John James Audubon and J.B. Chevalier, New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA Sheet size: 10.5" x 6.5" Image size: 7.5" x 5.63" Condition: Minor area of discoloration upper right corner. In excellent condition with strong colors Notes: Lithography and hand-coloring by American artist John T. Bowen (1801-c.1856). Comes from Audubon's famous seven volume portfolio "The Birds of America", First Royal Octavo Edition (1840-1844), which consists of 500 hand-colored lithographs. Based on a composition painted on August 13, 1821. The Canada warbler is a small boreal songbird of the New World warbler family. It summers in Canada and northeastern United States and winters in northern South America. To make 'The Birds of America' more affordable and widely available, in 1839 John James Audubon began the first octavo edition, a smaller version of the folio which was printed and hand-colored by J. T. Bowen in Philadelphia. Employing a new invention, the camera lucida, the images were reduced in size, rendered in intermediate drawings by John James Audubon and his son John Woodhouse, and then drawn onto lithographic stones. These miniatures exhibit a remarkable amount of attention to quality and detail, as well as a meticulous fidelity to the larger works. Some compositional changes were made in order to accommodate the smaller format. Like the Havell edition, John James Audubon’s first...
Category

1840s Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Watercolor, Lithograph

You May Also Like

The Grand Racer Kingston by Spendthrift, Lithograph by Currier & Ives 1891
By Currier & Ives
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Currier & Ives after Chaz Zellinsky after J. Cameron Title: The Grand Racer Kingston by Spendthrift Year: 1891 Medium: Hand-colored Lithograph Image Size: 19 x 26 inches Fram...
Category

Late 19th Century Victorian Portrait Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Leopard Seal, Antique Natural History Chromolithograph, circa 1895
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
Leopard Seal - chromolithograph from an English natural history series. 135mm by 200mm (image) 165mm by 255mm (sheet)
Category

Late 19th Century Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Grizzled Tree Kangaroo, New Guinea natural history animal lithograph, 1936
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
'Dendrolaugus Dorianus Dorianus' Tree kangaroo native to New Guinea. From 'On the Genus Dendrolagus' by Lionel Walter Rothschild and Guy Dollman, published in 'Transactions of th...
Category

Early 20th Century Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Shawmayer's Tree Kangaroo, New Guinea natural history animal lithograph, 1936
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
'Dendrolaugus Goodfellowi Shawmayeri' Tree kangaroo native to New Guinea. From 'On the Genus Dendrolagus' by Lionel Walter Rothschild and Guy Dollman, published in 'Transactions ...
Category

Early 20th Century Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Dendrolaugus Inustus Keiensis, Indonesian tree kangaroo lithograph, 1936
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
'Dendrolaugus Inustus Keiensis' Tree kangaroo native of Kei Island, South Molucca, Indonesia. From 'On the Genus Dendrolagus' by Lionel Walter Rothschild and Guy Dollman, publish...
Category

Early 20th Century Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Doria's Tree Kangaroo, New Guinea natural history animal lithograph, 1936
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
'Dendrolaugus Dorianus ab. loc. Aureus' Tree kangaroo native to New Guinea. From 'On the Genus Dendrolagus' by Lionel Walter Rothschild and Guy Dollman, published in 'Transaction...
Category

Early 20th Century Victorian Animal Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Recently Viewed

View All