
Luke Batterham
Senior Valuer
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Sold for £46,850 inc. premium
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Senior Valuer
In the prospectus to The Birds of Europe Gould notes "Assisted by experienced collectors at all the most favourable localities, it is intended that the artists employed on this work shall have, as far as possible, a constant supply of living or very recently killed birds, a plan which... will at the same time ensure a degree of truth both of character and colouring, which museum specimens, however well preserved, can never supply". Edward Lear accompanied Gould on his numerous trips to the Continent, contributing 67 plates to the work, including many birds of prey, and larger specimens such as swans, cranes, gannets, herons and game birds.