Birds · 20th century
€ 340
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good condition. Minor discoloring due to age and handling, but overall in very good condition with no tears, no brown spots or offsetting. Study the image carefully.
The birds featured in the collage are all falcons, specifically:
1. The first print depicts the Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), showcasing various life stages or morphs of the species.
2. The second print continues with the Gyrfalcon theme, providing a closer view of the birds, indicating different ages or gender variations.
3. The third print shows the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), known for its remarkable speed and hunting ability.
These species are known for their powerful build, keen eyesight, and hunting prowess. They have been admired and depicted in art and falconry for centuries. The illustrations themselves are typical of the detailed scientific artworks of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, designed to provide accurate representations of the species for study and appreciation.
These antique bird prints are chromolithographs from a work associated with Naumann, published by Fr. Eugen Köhler in Gera-Untermhaus in 1901. Chromolithography is a method for making multi-color prints, and this technique was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for producing vivid, detailed images.
Johann Friedrich Naumann (1780–1857) was a German scientist and often considered the founder of modern ornithology in Europe. His extensive work on birds was continued and expanded by his successors. The prints from "Naumann's Naturgeschichte der Vögel Mitteleuropas" (Natural History of the Birds of Central Europe), which was a comprehensive work on the birds of Central Europe. The work has been reissued and updated several times since Naumann's death.
The name "Blasius junr" could refer to one of the illustrators or naturalists who contributed to the later editions of Naumann's work. These prints, being chromolithographs, would have been mass-produced to make the detailed illustrations of Naumann's work available to a broader audience.
Fr. Eugen Köhler was a publisher known for producing natural history and scientific works around that time, and Gera-Untermhaus is the location associated with the publishing house.
The combination of beautiful illustration and scientific accuracy made these prints valuable for both educational purposes and as works of art for collectors. If you're looking to learn more about the specific edition or to authenticate the prints, an antiquarian bookseller or a library with a collection of historical scientific texts may be able to provide further assistance.
