Original Circa 1848 John Gould “Polytelis Barrabandi” Hand-Colored Lithograph

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An exceptional original 19th-century hand-colored lithograph by renowned British ornithologist and publisher John Gould, depicting a male and female Barraband’s … Read more An exceptional original 19th-century hand-colored lithograph by renowned British ornithologist and publisher John Gould, depicting a male and female Barraband’s Parakeet, now commonly known as the Superb Parrot.

Created for Gould’s monumental publication The Birds of Australia, the plate is titled Polytelis Barrabandi and dates to the mid-19th century, circa 1848. The composition was drawn and lithographed by John Gould and Henry Constantine Richter and printed in London by Hullmandel & Walton, as indicated by the original inscriptions along the lower margin.

This listing is for one Original framed Gould print but there are many others available to create an impressive Gould print wall collage if one desires.

The lithograph depicts the two sexes at natural scale. The male is distinguished by a vivid yellow forehead and throat with a rich scarlet band across the upper chest, while the female is rendered in softer blue-green and grass-green tones. Their elegant elongated tails and delicately articulated plumage are characteristic of Gould’s celebrated Australian bird plates.

The work is beautifully presented beneath TruGuard UV-protective conservation glass, matching the professional conservation framing used throughout the collection. A generous pale celadon mat with finely ruled borders surrounds the image, while a slender gilt frame with decorative corner details completes the refined presentation.


A highly decorative and collectible example of Victorian natural-history illustration, this piece would be especially striking in a library, study, living room, bedroom, or curated gallery wall. It complements traditional, English country, Chinoiserie, Grand Tour, botanical, and collected interiors. See less