Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1809
Sheet size
53 × 37 cm (20.9 × 14.6 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-05991-192
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
Condition
Very good. With wide margins and a strong plate mark; even age toning and a few trivial handling spots only. Text page likewise very good, clean and sound with mild, uniform toning and almost no scattered spots; one tiny tear in the top edge.
This finely hand-colored copper engraving shows the northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) in a rare white (leucistic) form, labeled on the plate Tringa vanellus, Gavia vulgaris (Varius alba). Set against a grassy mound, the artist contrasts the pale bird with a normally colored companion, displaying the species’ elegant swept crest, bold breast, and long rounded wings. Known in Dutch as kievit (Frisian ljip), the lapwing is widespread across temperate Eurasia and famed for its tumbling display and “pee-wit” call.
From Nederlandsche Vogelen; volgens hunne huisdouding, aert, en eigenschappen beschreeven (Amsterdam, 1770–1829)—the first great Dutch ornithology—by Cornelis Nozeman, Martinus Houttuyn and Jan Christiaan Sepp. Printed on laid paper and finished by hand to achieve lifelike color and texture. The accompanying Dutch text pages offer historical and scientific notes on the species, its behavior, nesting, and characteristics as understood in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with Dutch names "(varius alba) witte-kievit" noted.
Framing tips: A warm ivory mount will flatter the creamy plumage of the white bird; pair with an ebonised or dark oak frame for a classic natural-history look. A fine green fillet can echo the turf. Use UV-protective glazing to preserve the hand color.
