John James Audubon Birds “Painted Bunting” Book Plate 357

Description

This is a beautiful vintage John James Audubon book plate (Plate 357) of the “Painted Buntings” which was carefully removed from a 55 year old publication (1966) that is now out of print. It is in very good condition. Book plates are full page illustrations, pictures, or photographs that are printed separately from the text of the book, but they are bound in during production. Platings add color, texture, and value to books, and they are often gorgeous and riveting. For certain titles, plates are only included in first editions or deluxe editions, and they can often spread over entire sheets of paper. Book plates will also often be in the front of the book, and serve as a way of indicating ownership. Some of the most beautiful book plates are in books about nature and wildlife.

• This artwork is unframed
• Approximate Overall Dimensions 13 X 10 Inches
• Approximate Dimensions Of Illustration: 6 1/8 X 9 7/8 Inches

About Painted Buntings

The painted bunting is a species of bird in the cardinal family, Cardinalidae. It is native to North America. The bright plumage of the male only comes in the second year of life; in the first year they can only be distinguished from the female by close inspection.

Did you know? In 1841 John James Audubon reported that “thousands” of the colorful birds were caught every spring and shipped from New Orleans to Europe, where they fetched more than 100 times the price when sold as cage birds. They are still illegally trapped and sold in large numbers in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and to a lesser extent in Florida, despite efforts by conservationists to curb illegal trade.

About John James Audubon

John James Audubon (1785-1851) was not the first person to attempt to paint and describe all the birds of America (Alexander Wilson has that distinction), but for half a century he was the young country’s dominant wildlife artist. His seminal The Birds of America, a collection of 435 life-size prints, quickly eclipsed Wilson’s work and is still a standard against which 20th and 21st century bird artists, such as Roger Tory Peterson and David Sibley, are measured.