This wonderful lithograph of the Great Auk (Alca Impennis) is from John Gould's Birds of Great Britain, issued in 25 parts between 1862 and 1873. This plate is number 46 from volume 5 of this work and was drawn and lithographed by John Gould & HC Richter.This work was Gould's pride and joy and in it he fully developed his aesthetic style, and also introduced nests and young on a large scale. Gould's achievement with this work was to create the most comprehensive record of native birds at that time. A great variety of species are depicted in this series. At one time or another, the finest ornithological artists of the day worked for and with him, some for much of their r professional lives. These included Edward Lear, William M. Hart, Henry C. Richter and Josef Wolf, whom some consider the finest artist of his age. Wolf contributed almost 50 drawings to Birds of Great Britain. Size: 22in x 15in (52cm x 36cm)

The print is in excellent condition on thick, high quality paper. Please inspect the image carefully