Gould Original Watercolor Cyrtonyx (Partridge)

GOULD, John (1804-1881)
Varieties of Cyrtonyx for A Monograph of the Odontophorinae, or Partridges of America.
Gouache and watercolor with pencil notations in the artist’s hand.
11 5/8” x 15 1/2” sheet.
Study for “Massena’s Partridge” (Cyrtonyx Massena; plate 7) and “Ocellate Partridge” (Cyrtonyx Ocellatus; plate 8)
For his fourth monograph, Gould considerably enlarged the recorded species of the American partridge family. As he noted in his preface to the book, Gould was inspired to undertake this study “by the sight of several living examples of the beautiful Callipepla Californica, brought home and presented to the Zoological Society of London by Captain Beechey in 1830.” In his colorful illustrations, the artist conveyed the beauty he perceived in birds that were often considered awkward, and he wrote that “the graceful actions and elegant deportment of these birds inspired me.” Gould’s research took him to collections in Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Leipzig, Berlin, Hanover, Amsterdam and Leiden, and he was subsequently able to more than triple the number of recorded species of this genus. This study is a remarkable testament to the loose, almost Impressionistic style the artist often employed at stages in his preparation for a finished composition.