Ionolaema whitleyana (Black-breasted Brilliant).

• Price: $1,000.00
  

  SKU: 101291

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• ARTIST: John Gould

• MEDIUM: Lithograph handcolored,

  DATE: 1849-87.

• EDITION SIZE: Average paper size 21 x 14" (53.4 x 35.4 cm).

• DESCRIPTION: From A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds, 6 vols., large folio. Published in London, 1849–1887. Printed by Hullmandel and Walter from drawings by J. Gould, H. C. Richter, and William Hart, lithographed by the artists. The Black-breasted Brilliant is a resplendent Andean species, recognized by its vivid emerald-green plumage, iridescent violet throat, and deep black breast band that gives the bird its name. In Gould’s hand-colored lithograph, the bird is shown perched among flowering stems, the fine gradations of metallic pigment capturing the changing hues of its plumage as it catches the light. The composition—at once dynamic and balanced—exemplifies Gould’s ability to merge scientific precision with the aesthetic grace of fine art. John Gould’s Monograph of the Trochilidae remains one of the crowning achievements of Victorian natural history illustration. Created over nearly four decades, the series drew upon Gould’s extensive fieldwork and the collaboration of Henry Constantine Richter and William Hart. The Black-breasted Brilliant plate demonstrates their shared commitment to accuracy and beauty, presenting the hummingbird not merely as a specimen of study, but as a living jewel of the natural world.

• ADDITIONAL INFO: This piece is in a 15 x 23 inch archival mylar for handling.

• CONDITION: Good condition, displaying vibrant colors despite its age.

• REFERENCE:

• CATEGORIES: 18th-19th Century Subjects , Natural History - Birds , John Gould - Hummingbirds