ST-1825

Oidemia Fusca. Watercoloured litograph 1870. Cm 32,2 x 56. John Gould. Lyme 14 September 1804-London 1881. Son of a gardener, in 1818 he moved to Windsor and found a job as a gardener at the royal estate. In 1825 he moved to London and worked as an embalmer in the Museum of the Zoological Society of London. In 1829 he married Elizabeth Coxen and had six children. His wife was a well educated fine woman who drew very well. In 1830 he met Edward Lear, an artist and lithographer of rare skill, and together with him and his wife he began working on publications on birds, beautiful extraordinary work.He died in London in February 1881. He left 41 illustrated volumes of 3000 tables and 300 other minor works that were published on scientific journals of the time. During his old age he often said that he wanted his epitaph to say: “Here lies John Gould, the man of the birds.”