Jack Snipe - Scolopax Gallinula; (Linn)

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About Jack Snipe - Scolopax

John Gould (1804-1881)A selection from Birds of Europe, published in London 1832-37. Hand-colored lithograph measuring 14 1/2" x 21 1/2". Condition: Some very minor age spots. The Jack Snipe is the smallest of the snipes and breeds in marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows with short vegetation in Northern Europe and Northern Russia. John Gould was without question the most prolific natural history artist of the nineteenth century. He worked during a period of intense fascination with discoveries in natural history, especially regarding knowledge of the wildlife of exotic lands. Gould shared the romantic enthusiasm of his time for such subjects, as well as the popular impulse to catalogue exotic wildlife. He combined his passion for natural history with outstanding scientific, artistic, and entrepreneurial talents. Drawing on these abilities, he embarked on a series of projects that would eventually make him the leading publisher of ornithological illustrations in Victorian Britain. Gould's unparalleled career spanned five decades, and he produced a monumental series of books of birds throughout the world. Gould planned the Birds of Europe in an effort to redress the imbalance between the study of local and foreign ornithology. In his preface he stated his mission: "the Birds of Europe, in which we are, or ought to be , most interested, have not received that degree of attention which they naturally demand. The present work has been undertaken to supply that deficiency." Gould portrayed birds native to Europe in a manner that had only been thought appropriate for the colorful species of distant places. In this way he managed to draw much popular interest back to native birds, which were suddenly considered equally beautiful to exotic species. ***If you frame up this item with Arader Galleries you can take a 50% discount off the listed price of this work of art.***