Trogan personatus
probably 1836/1838
Medium
hand-colored lithograph
Dimensions
sheet: 54.8 × 36.7 cm (21 9/16 × 14 7/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection
Accession Number
1970.19.6
Art Historical Context
This hand-colored lithograph, titled *Trogan personatus* (likely referring to the Masked Trogon), was created by the renowned British ornithologist and artist John Gould in collaboration with lithographer H.C. Richter around 1836–1838. Measuring just over 21 by 14 inches, the print exemplifies the detailed natural history illustrations that made Gould’s publications celebrated across Europe during the Victorian era. Gould’s works combined scientific precision with artistic elegance, helping to document and popularize exotic bird species for both scholars and the public. The medium of hand-col...
About the Artist
John Gould and H.C. Richter
John Gould (1804–1881) and Henry Constantine Richter (1821–1902) formed one of the most productive and celebrated partnerships in the history of natural history illustration. Gould, an English ornithologist and publisher of extraordinary ambition, built a career on the production of lavishly illustrated folio volumes documenting the birds of Britain, Europe, Australia, Asia, and the Americas. Thou...