John James Audubon

"The Cougar", an Original 19th C. Audubon Hand Colored Quadruped Lithograph

1849-1854

This rare original John James Audubon hand-colored royal octavo lithograph is entitled "The Jaguar", No. 21, Plate CI, 101 from Audubon's "Quadrupeds of North America". It was drawn ...

This is an original 19th century John James Audubon hand-colored lithograph entitled "Texan Lynx", No. 19, Plate XCII, 92, from Audubon's "Quadrupeds of North America", printed and colored by J.T. Bowen and published in Philadelphia from 1849-1854. The lithograph depicts a Texan Lynx laying on the ground with hills in the background. This antique hand colored Audubon quadruped lithograph is presented with the original descriptive text pages 293-296 from Audubon's 19th century publication. The print is in excellent condition, including the striking hand coloring. 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...

This is an original John James Audubon hand-colored royal octavo lithograph entitled "Grizzly Bear", No. 27, Plate CXXXI from Audubon's "Quadrupeds of North America". It was drawn on...

This is an original John James Audubon hand-colored lithograph entitled "Townsend's Arvicola; Sharp-nosed Arvicola; Bank Rat", No. 31, Plate CXLIV from John James Audubon's Quadruped...

19th-Century Lithograph of the Puma and Cheetah in Graceful Stances This exquisite 19th-century lithograph showcases two remarkable big cats: the cougar, or puma (De Couguar of puma), and the cheetah, referred to as the "tiger wolf" (De Tijgerwolf of Gepard). Originally published in *De Zoogdieren: afgebeeld en in hunne levenswijze geschetst*, this illustration captures the physical differences between these two agile predators with remarkable accuracy. The puma (Puma concolor), also known as the mountain lion, is native to the Americas, ranging from Canada to Patagonia. Unlike other big cats, pumas lack the ability to roar, making them more closely related to smaller feline species. They are solitary hunters known for their stealth and adaptability to various terrains, from dense forests to arid deserts. The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus...

Striking 1805 Hand-Colored Engraving of Wild Cats and Predatory Mammals from Bertuch Description: This remarkable hand-colored engraving from Friedrich Justin Bertuch’s *Porte-Fe...

Title: Der Panther (Panther) - Hand-Colored Zoological Print, Circa 1840 Description: This exquisite hand-colored lithograph, titled "Der Panther" (The Panther), portrays the *Fel...

Title: "The Varied Panther of Nature's Palette" Description: This 19th-century coloured engraving, crafted with the meticulous hand of German illustrator Johann Eberhard Ihle and en...