by John Gould and H.C.Richter
from ‘Birds of Asia’
original hand coloured lithograph
The Saker Falcon (Falco Sacer) is a large species of falcon. This species breeds from central Europe eastwards across Asia to East China.
The intended geographical range of “The Birds of Asia” was enormous, and very much in keeping with the seemingly limitless self-belief of the 19th-century’s best known ornithologist. In his all-encompassing work John Gould includes species from all corners of the eastern world, as Richard Bowdler Sharpe noted the work covers “Species from Palestine to the eastward, and from the Moluccas to the west.” Gould chose to record the bird life from an area which, with the exception of the tropical areas of the American continent, includes the widest, and most colourful variety of bird life to be found anywhere in the world.
John Gould (1804 – 1881) remains one of the most significant figures in 19th century bird art, both in his prolific output and the aesthetic beauty of his plates. He is credited with the publication of more than 3,100 coloured lithographs of bird species from various parts of the world and is associated with vibrant and carefully executed folio volumes created in partnership with some of the period’s most respected bird artists, among them, Edward Lear, Joseph Wolf and William Hart. This dual expertise in both science and art heightened his prominence.
Size framed (cms): 71 (H) x 52 (L)
Size framed (inches): 28.5 (H) x 20.5 (L)
