Description
Description of John J. Audubon's Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America - Imperial Folio Edition
These hand-finished lithographs are from The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, by John J. Audubon and John Bachman (the Viviparous was dropped from the title for the subsequent Octavo Edition). It was printed in three volumes in 1845, 1846, and 1848. These stone lithographs were printed in color while the animal, botanical, and other depictions were hand-colored by J.T. Bowen of Philadelphia. Both of Audubon's sons were involved in the projects, assisting with specimen collection, hand-applied color, and actually printing the work. Lutheran clergyman Bachman was a close friend of Audubon's following the marriage of Audubon's sons to Bachman's daughters. Audubon was eager to work on the Quadruped project though Bachman was hesitant. The Reverend later gave in on the condition that Audubon's sons would retain the profits. By 1835 Bachman became indispensable to the project writing most of the text and doing the editing. According to Ron Flynn's "The Audubon Price Guide" this work is "considered to be the definitive and most outstanding work on American animals of the 19th century. Each print is superbly printed, and the animals seem realistically animated. Because of the skill of J.T. Bowen and the quality of watercolor paints used, many people today regard these prints as superior in quality and accuracy to those oft he Havell Edition of birds." (Flynn, 2004). They are on fine quality paper that measures ~ 20" by 27".