John James Audubon

Golden-winged Woodpecker: First Octavo Edition Audubon Hand-colored Lithograph

1840

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...

This is an original John James Audubon hand-colored lithograph entitled "Mango Humming bird, 1. 2. Males. 3. Female. Bignonia grandifolia", No. 51, Plate 251 from Audubon's "Birds of America, lithographed, printed and colored by JT Bowen and published in Philadelphia between 1870-1871. The lithograph depicts an adult male hummingbird, labelled 1, in flight above a beautiful flowering plant, a Chinese Trumpet-vine. Another male, labeled 2, is perched on a flower on the left and a female, labelled 3, is perched on a flower on the right. This hand-colored Audubon bird octavo-size lithograph sheet measures 10.25" high by 6.75" wide. It is in excellent condition. The original text pages, 185-186, from Audubon's 19th century publication are included. 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...

This is an original 1st octavo edition John James Audubon hand-colored lithograph entitled "Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 1. Male, 2, Female, Papaw Tree", No. 55, Plate 275 from Audubon's "B...

This is an original 18th century hand-colored copperplate engraving of male and female woodpecker birds entitled "1. Pie Male de la Encenada, 2. Petit Pic des Moluques (Woodpeckers)"...

Title: "Woodpeckers in Harmony: An 1856 Avian Study" Description: This exquisite print, titled "Woodpeckers in Harmony," is a fine example of natural history illustration from the "...

Antique print titled 'Picus, Alba et Viridis, Minor'. The European green woodpecker (Picus viridis) is a member of the woodpecker family Picidae. There are four subspecies and it occ...

Antique bird print titled 'Canadian Woodpecker'. Beautiful bird print depicting a male Canadian Woodpecker in a tree. Originates from the first royal octavo...

Antique bird print titled 'Picus Insularis'. Original lithograph of the Formosan Spotted Woodpecker. This print originates from 'Birds of Asia' by John Gould. Published 1850-1853.