Audubon Aquatint, Black-Billed Cuckoo

AUDUBON, John James (1785 - 1851).
Black-Billed Cuckoo, Plate 32.
Aquatint engraving with original hand color.
London: Robert Havell, 1827-1838.
26 5/8" x 39 3/8" sheet.

Provenance: John Vickers Painter's Collection, Deckled Uncut.

Comparables: Christie's, 2004 - $19,120; Arader Galleries, 2019 - $16,250.

This Brilliant Composition is the perfect mate to Lot One in this sale. It is one of Audubon's greatest pairs.

The Virginia Magnolia, the flower that 18th-Century English tree collectors valued the most.

Of the roughly 180 sets of Audubon produced from 1827-1838, we know of only six that were never bound (one for King William, one in Moscow and 4 others). These aquatints come from one of the unbound sets owned by John Vickers Painter in Cleveland in the 1880's. Because it was never bound, they have huge untrimmed paper sheets of approximately 39 1/2" x 26 1/2" in size, while a standard bound Audubon has a paper size of 38 5/8" x 25 3/4". To collectors, a full uncut sheet makes a tremendous difference. Beyond this, they are in mint original condition with no restoration, and color with the highest level of gradations creating compelling dimension and depth.