Phaethornis Pygmaeus, Pl. 41 (Swallow-tail)

John Gould

Published by London, 1861

About this Item

John Gould (1804-1881) was an English ornithologist, self-taught artist and naturalist. Gould first worked as a gardener under his father in the Royal Gardens of Windsor from 1818-1824, where he began his illustrations. He became an expert taxidermist, opening his own practice in London in 1824 and in 1827 he became the first Curator and Preserver at the museum of the Zoological Society of London. Through his work he was able to meet with the country’s leading naturalists and view new collections of birds given to the Zoological Society. His interest in birds was continually developing and in 1830 he published his first volume on birds, “A Century of Birds From the Himalaya Mountains.” For the next fifty years, Gould, his wife and artists working with them traveled around Asia, the East Indies and Australia. His wife Elizabeth and other artists were able to transfer his sketches to stone; hand print and hand-color them. Of all his works, many of Gould’s best-known images come from this beautiful and comprehensive “Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Hummingbirds”. One of his largest productions, the Hummingbirds was also the most painstaking, meticulously detailed project that the ornithologist attempted. In order to create accurate representations of the tiny, delicately beautiful birds, Gould invented a new method of coloring, using metallic pigments to reproduce the iridescence of their plumage. Most images also show at least one subject in flight to further accentuate the coloring of their feathers. All of the hummingbirds are drawn to scale and are anatomically correct to the smallest detail, their brilliant coloring highlighted with gold and transparent luster. Most of the subjects in the book were taken from Gould’s personal collection of hummingbird specimens. This magnificently hand-colored lithograph, "Phaethornis Pygmaeus", measures 21.75" x 15" and is in excellent condition with a few light foxing marks. These hummingbirds, also known as Pygmy Hermits or Reddish Hermits, are colored with reddish undersides, green wings and patterned tail-feathers. Precise lines define and detail each feather, giving these hummingbirds dimension and their positioning, one in the nest and one outside, show their small size and add to this dynamic composition. Bookseller Inventory # aw0216e

Bibliographic Details

Title: Phaethornis Pygmaeus, Pl. 41 (Swallow-tail)

Publisher: London

Publication Date: 1861

Binding: No Binding

Book Condition:Fine