This splendid hand-colored, folio-size lithograph, Totanus Stagnatilis, from John Gould’s (1804-1881) monumental book "Birds of Australia" is in mint condition, measuring 13.37" x 21", and magnificently displays the author’s scientific skill and attention to detail. Commonly called Marsh Sandpipers, these wading birds are expertly hand-colored with white-gray undersides and dark gray and black hoods, topsides and wings. As illustrated in this lithograph, these birds live in wetlands, forging shallow waters and soft mud for food. At the time "Birds of Australia's" publication, the birds of this region were essentially unknown to a European audience and as Gould himself admitted in the preface to the book, “the field was comparatively a new one”. John Gould was without question the most prolific ornithological artist of the 19th century, and the only one to rival John James Audubon in ambition and quality. The 19th century was a time of intense fascination with discoveries in natural history, especially regarding knowledge of the wildlife of exotic lands. Gould combined his passion for natural history with outstanding scientific, artistic, and entrepreneurial talents, and 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. The Birds of Australia is John Gould’s largest and most important work. Because he himself spent so much time in the field making his own observations, the text that accompanies the illustrations is by far the most accurate and detailed of all his works. Each of the illustrations is stunningly colored and flawlessly drafted, highlighting the exquisite plumage and elegance of the birds. The colossal work is tremendous throughout, and quite rightly, it is considered Gould’s masterpiece. When Gould began work on the Birds of Australia, the or
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