Antique 19th-Century Hand-Colored Blossom-Headed Parakeet | Original John Gould Lithograph

Details

Description

Presented in a dark green archival mat measuring 18 x 24 inches, this antique hand-colored parakeet lithograph displays beautifully while … Read more Presented in a dark green archival mat measuring 18 x 24 inches, this antique hand-colored parakeet lithograph displays beautifully while preserving the original 19th-century sheet with reversible materials. The vivid green plumage, rose-pink facial coloring, soft cerulean-blue crowns, long sweeping tails, and delicate flowering branch give the piece a fresh tropical elegance — a striking choice for a coastal library, garden room, sunroom, English traditional interior, or collected natural history wall.

This original John Gould lithograph features the Blossom-Headed Parakeet, Palaeornis rosa, from Gould’s celebrated The Birds of Asia. Published in London between 1850 and 1883, The Birds of Asia was one of Gould’s major ornithological achievements, admired for its brilliant bird subjects, refined botanical settings, and richly hand-finished color.

The plate has exactly the kind of decorative presence that makes Gould so desirable: scientific precision, beautiful color, and a composition that feels alive on the wall. The parakeets’ bright tropical coloring is balanced by the softness of the branch and open background, giving the work both collector importance and immediate interior appeal.

The original matching text leaf is included and will also be presented in a coordinating archival mat. At the buyers request upon purchase, I am able to re-mat to any specific size or color preferences you may have.

Details:
* Artist: John Gould
* Work: The Birds of Asia
* Subject: Blossom-Headed Parakeet / Palaeornis rosa
* Date: 1874; from the larger Birds of Asia series published 1850–1883
* Medium: Original hand-colored lithograph
* Original paper size: approximately 14.25 x 21.5 inches
* Presentation: Matted to 18 x 24 inches
* Mat color: Dark olive green
* Archival presentation: Acid-free and lignin-free matboard with archival backing
* Ready to frame
* Includes matching text leaf

Provenance:
Formerly in the Library of Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with recorded purchase date of November 22, 1910. The plate also bears provenance associated with the bookplate of Cecil George Savile Foljambe. See less