Rose-breasted Parakeet and Princeps Flycatcher
1857
The Rose-breasted Parakeet (male) – The Princeps Flycatcher (female). Lithograph, period coloring. Lemercier, Paris, printer ca. 1857. Berrieux, Paris; Gambart, London, publishers. Sheet dimensions: 60.3 x 43 cm. Subject dimensions: 46.5 x 37 cm. Original period color lithograph, from the famous series Les Oiseaux les plus remarquables par leurs formes et leurs couleurs. Plate no. 64, The East Indies. Very beautiful copy. Little foxing. Large margins. Overall offering an excellent presentation. Traviès, one of the most brilliant French natural history illustrators of the 19th century, combines here the scientific accuracy inherited from the great natural history works with a remarkable pictorial sensitivity. The finesse of the lithographic line, the freshness of the antique colors, and the balance of the composition make this plate a representative testimony of the golden age of ornithological illustration. Printed on heavy paper, entirely enhanced with stencil and brush at the time of publication. Individual plates by Traviès, particularly those devoted to tropical birds, are sought after for their decorative qualities and their naturalistic interest.
Original lithograph by Édouard Traviès, a major artist of 19th-century French natural history illustration. A well-known and sought-after work. Good condition and large margins.
