HART, William Matthew (1830-1908), for GOULD, John (1804-1881).
Yellow-Billed Toucanets (Aulacorhynchus Sulcatus Calorhynchus).
Watercolor on paper.
London, c. 1870.
14 1/2" x 22" sheet, 31 1/2" x 24" framed.

A Superb original watercolor of a toucan for an unpublished work by John Gould. It was likely based on a pencil sketch by Gould, which is now in the Sauer Collection at the University of Kansas. The drawing contains several pencil amendments, likely written by Gould or an assistant. Upper right: "vol 20 - Tab 5481" (Presumably referring to the Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum). Upper left: "10 Feathers in Tail not 12." This is quite an emphatic correction of Hart, who had failed to correctly translate Gould's original sketch, which clearly showered only 5 tail feathers on one side. The superfluous feather is further crossed out. In 1874, Gould published an article in Annals and Magazine of Natural History (volume 14, page 183), describing three new species of green toucanets, where he describes the bird pictured in this painting.

We know from Gould's article in "Annals and Magazine of Nature History" (volume 14, page 183) that in 1874 he had a strong interest in new toucan species. This makes sense as an approximate date for the drawings, too. The article and drawings suggest that around this time Gould may have been reassessing his second Monograph of the Ramphastidae, wishing to update the work yet again. We are aware of at least six finished, but unpublished toucan drawings done for Gould around this time (and possibly a seventh describe in H. P. Kraus, "The Ninetieth Catalogue"). Six unpublished toucan drawings are mentioned in Henry Sotheran's Piccadilly Notes, Number 9, and we have been able to trace all six. Four being in this sale, another is with the London drawings trade, and the other is at the University of Kansas in the Saur Collection (Gould 1053). All of this makes for a rather exciting discovery: the final remnants of Gould's unpublished third "Monograph of the Ramphastidae."

Provenance: John Gould's Estate; Henry Sothernan's Ltd.; Item 1872, Piccadilly Notes, Number 9, London, 1933; By repute, Mallett Antiques; Private English Collection; Private Sale, Dreweatts 1759 (2014).