Artamus Maximus

• Work: Birds of New Ginae
• Description: Artamus Maximus
• Date: 1875-1888
• Condition of Plate: Overall excellent
• Condition of Work: Overall excellent
• Paper Size: 14.5″ by 22.0″
• Image Size: 10.0″ by 18.5″

This print is a hand-colored lithograph from John Gould’s work, Birds of New Ginea, published in London between 1875 and 1888. During his lifetime he created over 3000 plates of birds in over 40 volumes. In 1827, he became a taxidermist for the Zoological Society of London. Around 1830 Gould received some exotic bird skins from the Himalayas. Shortly thereafter in 1831, he published his first work, A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains. He went to such places as Australia, Asia, and New Guinea where he observed and sketched the native birds and mammals. It is widely accepted that Gould sketched all 3000 of his plates. However, his wife (Elizabeth Coxen), Lear, Wolf, Hart, and Richter did much of the remaining artistic work such as transferring these sketches to stone, hand-printing, and hand-coloring. Gould’s last work was published after his death in 1888.