423 - Brown Pelican
SKU:
BE-423
$23,000.00
$18,000.00
$18,000.00
per item
Chromolithy by J. Bien. Image painted by Audubon in 1832 in the Florida Keys. State Bird of Louisiana.
Audubon wrote: "This species procures its food on wing, and in a manner quite different from that of the White Pelican. A flock will leave their resting place, proceed over the waters in search of fish, and when a shoal is perceived, separate at once, when each, from an elevation of from fifteen to twenty-five feet, plunges in an oblique and somewhat winding direction, spreading to the full stretch its lower mandible and pouch, as it reaches the water, and suddenly scoops up the object of its pursuit, immersing the head and neck, and sometimes the body, for an instant. It immediately swallows its prey, rises on wing, dashes on another fish, seizes and devours it, and thus continues, sometimes plunging eight or ten times in a few minutes, and always with unerring aim. When gorged, it rests on the water for awhile, but if it has a brood, or a mate sitting on her eggs, it flies off at once towards them, no matter how heavily laden it may be."
Audubon wrote: "This species procures its food on wing, and in a manner quite different from that of the White Pelican. A flock will leave their resting place, proceed over the waters in search of fish, and when a shoal is perceived, separate at once, when each, from an elevation of from fifteen to twenty-five feet, plunges in an oblique and somewhat winding direction, spreading to the full stretch its lower mandible and pouch, as it reaches the water, and suddenly scoops up the object of its pursuit, immersing the head and neck, and sometimes the body, for an instant. It immediately swallows its prey, rises on wing, dashes on another fish, seizes and devours it, and thus continues, sometimes plunging eight or ten times in a few minutes, and always with unerring aim. When gorged, it rests on the water for awhile, but if it has a brood, or a mate sitting on her eggs, it flies off at once towards them, no matter how heavily laden it may be."
1 available
423 - Brown Pelican
Chromolithograph
Bien Edition, Birds of America
The Bien edition prints of the Birds of America were produced by the Audubon family (by Audubon’s sons John Woodhouse and Victor Gifford), and thus are properly termed originals. Unlike the Havell edition prints which were produced in England, the Bien Edition prints were produced completely in America. Thus, they are truly American originals. In 1858, about seven years after John James Audubon passed away, his younger son John Woodhouse Audubon initiated an ambitious project to reissue the Birds of America to solve some of the mounting financial problems. He recruited the Roe Lockwood Company in New York city to publish the works and Julius Bien for lithography. Unlike the Havells which were produced from copper engraving plates, Julius Bien utilized the newly emerging chromolithography process as a way of reducing the costs of production. Chromolithography utilized a set of printing stones (about 6 or more, carrying images transferred from the original copper-plate engravings), each with different color printed in register to layer the colors to produce the final colored image on paper. Some of the final prints were hand-colored in specific areas to enhance the image. The use of different stones occasionally resulted in very slight misregister of colors on the dark outlines of birds and background, thus serving as a charming reminder of chromolithography process. Larger images were printed on a single page as in the Havell edition, whereas smaller images were printed two per page. All the larger images as well as some smaller images carry the credit "Chromolithy by J. Bien, New York, 1860” (but some with years between 1858 to 1862). Thus these images are commonly referred to as the Bien edition plates. Unfortunately, the start of the Civil War in 1860 brought an abrupt end to this project (and a financial ruin to the Audubon family) after only about 105 pages were printed. It was said that about 100 copies of each page (with bird images) were produced, but most of them did not survive. The Bien edition prints are more scarce to find than the Havell edition prints. For an excellent introduction to the Bien edition, please see the books by Susanne M. Low and Bill Steiner (books listed in the page about John James Audubon).
(Copyright, April 14, 2005, by the owner of AntiqueAudubon.Com)
Most of the prints available in this gallery are full sheets (~ 39" x 26"). Slightly trimmed prints are indicated. Please ask for detailed condition report before purchasing.
Bien Edition, Birds of America
The Bien edition prints of the Birds of America were produced by the Audubon family (by Audubon’s sons John Woodhouse and Victor Gifford), and thus are properly termed originals. Unlike the Havell edition prints which were produced in England, the Bien Edition prints were produced completely in America. Thus, they are truly American originals. In 1858, about seven years after John James Audubon passed away, his younger son John Woodhouse Audubon initiated an ambitious project to reissue the Birds of America to solve some of the mounting financial problems. He recruited the Roe Lockwood Company in New York city to publish the works and Julius Bien for lithography. Unlike the Havells which were produced from copper engraving plates, Julius Bien utilized the newly emerging chromolithography process as a way of reducing the costs of production. Chromolithography utilized a set of printing stones (about 6 or more, carrying images transferred from the original copper-plate engravings), each with different color printed in register to layer the colors to produce the final colored image on paper. Some of the final prints were hand-colored in specific areas to enhance the image. The use of different stones occasionally resulted in very slight misregister of colors on the dark outlines of birds and background, thus serving as a charming reminder of chromolithography process. Larger images were printed on a single page as in the Havell edition, whereas smaller images were printed two per page. All the larger images as well as some smaller images carry the credit "Chromolithy by J. Bien, New York, 1860” (but some with years between 1858 to 1862). Thus these images are commonly referred to as the Bien edition plates. Unfortunately, the start of the Civil War in 1860 brought an abrupt end to this project (and a financial ruin to the Audubon family) after only about 105 pages were printed. It was said that about 100 copies of each page (with bird images) were produced, but most of them did not survive. The Bien edition prints are more scarce to find than the Havell edition prints. For an excellent introduction to the Bien edition, please see the books by Susanne M. Low and Bill Steiner (books listed in the page about John James Audubon).
(Copyright, April 14, 2005, by the owner of AntiqueAudubon.Com)
Most of the prints available in this gallery are full sheets (~ 39" x 26"). Slightly trimmed prints are indicated. Please ask for detailed condition report before purchasing.
