AUDOUIN’S GULL – Larus Audouinii Temm – Original Lithograph – Edward Lear – John Gould – 1832-1837

Original hand-coloured lithograph from The Birds of Europe. London: Published by John Gould, [1832–1837].

A handsome original nineteenth-century hand-coloured lithograph depicting Audouin’s Gull (Larus Audouinii, Temm.), standing on a rocky shoreline. Drawn and lithographed by Edward Lear, who was only around twenty years old when Gould first commissioned him, and whose work for Gould remains among the finest achievements of nineteenth-century ornithological illustration.

The plate is especially appealing for the bird’s clean profile, subtle grey plumage and striking red bill, which provides the principal point of colour within an otherwise restrained coastal composition. Lear’s draughtsmanship is evident in the delicate feather modelling, the carefully observed head and eye, and the lively handling of the rocky foreground.

Produced for Gould’s monumental large-folio Birds of Europe, issued between 1832 and 1837, the lithograph forms part of one of the foundational works of nineteenth-century natural history publishing. Audouin’s Gull is a Mediterranean species, and Gould’s inclusion of it reflects the wider geographical scope of his European ornithology. The Birds of Europe was issued in parts between 1832 and 1837, with plates drawn by J. and E. Gould and Edward Lear.

Plate captioned “AUDOUIN’S GULL. Larus Audouinii, Temm.” Lower left bearing printed credit “E. Lear del et lith.” Within the image, the rock is additionally inscribed “Edward Lear del 1831.” Printed by Hullmandel. Sheet size approximately 53 x 36.5 cm.

Condition: Very good with original hand-colouring. Old framer’s tabs verso with marks to the upper margin which could be covered by a mount. Mild age toning, creasing, small age spots and minor handling wear to margins consistent with age. A clean Edward Lear lithograph in very good, unrestored and original condition.

Cataloguer: Daniel Hornsey of Hornseys, Ripon

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