AUDUBON, John James (1785 - 1851).
Blue Jay, Plate 102.
Aquatint engraving with original hand color.
London: Robert Havell, 1827-1838.
39 3/8" x 26 5/8" sheet, with deckled uncut edges.

Provenance: John Vickers Painter's Collection, Deckled Uncut.

Comparable: Arader Galleries, 2020 - $28,320; Arader Galleries, 2021 - $18,000.

The Blue Jay is the official mascot for Johns Hopkins University, Elmhurst College, and Creighton University.

Lots 1-10 are wonderful examples of Audubon's aquatints, and are the finest we have ever seen. Of the roughly 180 sets of Audubon produced from 1827-1838, we know of only six that were never bound (one for King William, one in Moscow and 4 others). These aquatints come from one of the unbound sets owned by John Vickers Painter in Cleveland in the 1880's. Because it was never bound, they have huge untrimmed paper sheets of approximately 39 1/2" x 26 1/2" in size, while a standard bound Audubon has a paper size of 38 5/8" x 25 3/4". To collectors, a full uncut sheet makes a tremendous difference. Beyond this, they are in mint original condition with no restoration, and color with the highest level of gradations creating compelling dimension and depth.

"The Blue Jay is one of those birds that are found capable of subsisting in cold as well as in warm climates. It occurs as far north as the Canadas, where it makes occasional attacks upon the corn cribs of the farmers, and it is found in the most southern portions of the United States, where it abounds during the winter. Every where it manifests the same mischievous disposition. It imitates the cry of the Sparrow Hawk so perfectly, that the little birds in the neighbourhood hurry into the thick coverts, to avoid what they believe to be the attack of that marauder. It robs every nest it can find, sucks the eggs like the Crow, or tears to pieces and devours the young birds. " - Audubon's Ornithological Biography, 1831.