![John Gould - A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds, [1849-] 1861](/images/john-gould_a-monograph-of-the-trochilidae-or-family-of-humming-birds-1849-1861_AID711788.jpg?f=grey)
John Gould
A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds, [1849-] 1861
Found at
Sothebys,
London
The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part I, Lot 91
6. May - 18. May 2022
The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part I, Lot 91
6. May - 18. May 2022
Estimate: 60.000 - 80.000 GBP
Price realised: 69.300 GBP
Price realised: 69.300 GBP
Description
John Gould
A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds. London: Taylor and Francis for the Author, [1849-] 1861
5 volumes, large folio (563 x 371mm.), list of subscribers, list of plates in each volume, 360 hand-coloured lithographed plates, many highlighted with varnish and metallic paints, by Gould, H.C. Richter and William Hart, contemporary red half morocco gilt, some spotting, small ink stain to cover
''The Trochilidae of Gould is his masterpiece, and must ever remain a feast of beauty and a source of wonder'' (Fine Bird Books, p.29).
Gould injected remarkable vivacity into his hummingbirds by using gold leaf over painted with transparent oil colours and varnish, evoking the iridescent effect of their plumage. The birds are shown in a boundless variety of positions, hovering near, swooping into and rested upon crops of exquisitely illustrated flowers.
Gould's own remarkable collection of 1500 mounted hummingbirds was exhibited in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, during the Great Exhibition of 1851. It attracted 75,000 visitors, including Queen Victoria, who recorded in her diary: ''It is impossible to imagine anything so lovely as these little Humming Birds, their variety, and the extraordinary brilliance of their colours''.
The work was issued in twenty-five parts, followed much later (1880-1887) by a mostly posthumous five-part supplement by Richard Bowdler-Sharpe, not present here.
For more information about Gould, please refer to Lot 88.
LITERATURE: Anker 177; Fine Bird Books, p. 78; Nissen IVB 380; Sauer 16; Zimmer, p. 258
A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds. London: Taylor and Francis for the Author, [1849-] 1861
5 volumes, large folio (563 x 371mm.), list of subscribers, list of plates in each volume, 360 hand-coloured lithographed plates, many highlighted with varnish and metallic paints, by Gould, H.C. Richter and William Hart, contemporary red half morocco gilt, some spotting, small ink stain to cover
''The Trochilidae of Gould is his masterpiece, and must ever remain a feast of beauty and a source of wonder'' (Fine Bird Books, p.29).
Gould injected remarkable vivacity into his hummingbirds by using gold leaf over painted with transparent oil colours and varnish, evoking the iridescent effect of their plumage. The birds are shown in a boundless variety of positions, hovering near, swooping into and rested upon crops of exquisitely illustrated flowers.
Gould's own remarkable collection of 1500 mounted hummingbirds was exhibited in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, during the Great Exhibition of 1851. It attracted 75,000 visitors, including Queen Victoria, who recorded in her diary: ''It is impossible to imagine anything so lovely as these little Humming Birds, their variety, and the extraordinary brilliance of their colours''.
The work was issued in twenty-five parts, followed much later (1880-1887) by a mostly posthumous five-part supplement by Richard Bowdler-Sharpe, not present here.
For more information about Gould, please refer to Lot 88.
LITERATURE: Anker 177; Fine Bird Books, p. 78; Nissen IVB 380; Sauer 16; Zimmer, p. 258
Auction result well in line with expectations
The work A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds, 1849- 1861 by John Gould was auctioned at Sothebys in London in May last year. The price achieved of GBP 69,300.00 (€ 81,524.85) was within expectations - the estimate range had previously been set by the auction house as GBP 60,000.00 – 80,000.00. Admittedly, works by John Gould have also been auctioned for a multiple of this price - according to our records, the highest result so far was achieved by the work The Birds of Australia, [1840- 1848-1869, 8 volumes including Supplement|AID711784] in May last year with an auction result of GBP 302,400.00 (€ 355,744.81).
Auktionsergebnis im Rahmen der Erwartungen
Die Arbeit A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds, 1849- 1861 von John Gould kam im Mai letzten Jahres bei Sothebys in London zur Auktion. Der dabei erzielte Preis von GBP 69.300,00 (€ 81.524,85) lag im Rahmen der Erwartungen – die Schätzpreisspanne war von dem Auktionshaus zuvor mit GBP 60.000,00 – 80.000,00 angegeben worden. Freilich wurden Arbeiten von John Gould auch schon für ein Vielfaches dieses Preises versteigert – das bisher höchste Ergebnis erzielte nach unseren Aufzeichnungen die Arbeit The Birds of Australia, [1840- 1848-1869, 8 volumes including Supplement|AID711784] im Mai letzten Jahres mit einem Auktionsergebnis von GBP 302.400,00 (€ 355.744,81).
John Gould - Auction history
![John Gould - A Monograph of the Trogonidae, [1858-] 1875, contemporary green half morocco](/images/john-gould_a-monograph-of-the-trogonidae-1858-1875-contemporary-green-half-morocco_AID711791_320x320.jpg)
![John Gould - The Mammals of Australia, London, [1845-] 1863, 3 volumes, contemporary green morocco gilt](/images/john-gould_the-mammals-of-australia-london-1845-1863-3-volumes-contemporary-green-morocco-gilt_AID711789_320x320.jpg)
![John Gould - A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds, [1849-] 1861](/images/john-gould_a-monograph-of-the-trochilidae-or-family-of-humming-birds-1849-1861_AID711788_320x320.jpg)
![John Gould - A Monograph of the Odontophorinae, London, [1844-] 1850, later green morocco gilt by Zaehnsdorf](/images/john-gould_a-monograph-of-the-odontophorinae-london-1844-1850-later-green-morocco-gilt-by-zaehnsdorf_AID711785_320x320.jpg)
![John Gould - The Birds of Australia, [1840-] 1848-1869, 8 volumes including Supplement](/images/john-gould_the-birds-of-australia-1840-1848-1869-8-volumes-including-supplement_AID711784_320x320.jpg)
![John Gould - The birds of Australia [suppressed parts], 1837-1838](/images/john-gould_the-birds-of-australia-suppressed-parts-1837-1838_AID711782_320x320.jpg)
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