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GOULD, John (1804-1881)
The Birds of Europe
London: printed by Richard and John E. Taylor, published by the Author, [1832-] 1837. 5 volumes, folio (21 1/4 x 14 1/4 inches). 2pp. list of subscribers in vol.I. 448 fine hand-coloured lithographed plates (68 drawn and lithographed by Edward Lear, 380 drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould from sketches and designs by John Gould), printed by Charles Hullmandel, a few small expertly repaired marginal tears, plate 354 (Domestic Swan) in vol.V oxidized and with small section of lower outer corner torn away. Contemporary tan half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards by Rowbottom of Derby, spines gilt in six compartments with wide raised bands, the bands tooled in gilt and flanked by fillets in gilt and blind, lettered gilt in the second and fourth compartments, marbled endpapers (extremities lightly rubbed, inner hinges reinforced).
First edition: a fine copy of Gould's first multi-volume ornithological work and the first of his works to feature plates by Edward Lear: one of the greatest ornithological artists of all time. Lear's contributions included the most eye-catching subjects in the book: eagles, owls, cranes, pelicans, geese, swans, and flamingos
Lear's plates are from bird drawings that "are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, [for] it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm" (Hyman).
"Lear's participation transformed the work of Mrs. Gould. ... [H]e propelled her limited sense of perspective into the third dimension. He encouraged movement, vigor, and a sense of character in her birds; he instilled an idea of composition in which the subject related to its background instead of perching in midair like a cardboard cutout. He introduced a sense of subtlety and freedom into her drawings where previously she had only mimicked the technique used in etching or engraving. There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that made the works of Gould into a success and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree).
Balis Merveilleux plumages 101; Fine Bird Books p.101; Hyman Lear's Birds 45; Nissen IVB 371; Sauer 2; Tree Ruling Passion 45; Zimmer p.251
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#20214 $250,000.00 
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© 2002-2005 Donald A. Heald
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