"Ovis Montana. Rocky Mountain Sheep" Hand-colored Lithograph, by John James Audubon, Printed by J.T. Bowen, Circa 1845

Presented here is an original hand-colored lithograph of the "Ovis Montana. Rocky Mountain Sheep" by the celebrated American naturalist and artist John James Audubon. The image portrays a ram and ewe positioned amid rugged rocky terrain. The image as an excellent example of the careful observation and artistic precision that characterizes Audubon's work. This plate was printed by J. T. Bowen of New York for the Imperial Folio edition of The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, one of the most significant natural history publications produced in nineteenth-century America.

Published between 1845 and 1848, The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America was Audubon's final major scientific and artistic undertaking. Conceived as a comprehensive survey of the mammals of the North American continent, the work comprised 150 hand-colored lithographic plates issued in three volumes. The illustrations were based primarily upon watercolor studies by Audubon, although responsibility for much of the later work passed to his son, John Woodhouse Audubon, as the elder Audubon's eyesight and health deteriorated during the project's production. Another son, Victor Gifford Audubon, contributed many of the landscape backgrounds that lend the plates their distinctive sense of place and environmental context. The lithographs were printed on heavy, non-watermarked paper and meticulously colored by hand prior to binding. Accompanying each illustration was an authoritative scientific text prepared by the noted naturalist and clergyman John Bachman. Bachman was a close friend and collaborator of Audubon whose contributions added to the scholarly integrity of the publication.

Among the most influential figures in the history of American natural history, Audubon devoted his life to documenting the wildlife of North America with a level of scientific accuracy and artistic detail that was unprecedented for his era. Born in 1785 in Les Cayes, Saint-Domingue, present-day Haiti, to a French father and Creole mother, he spent much of his youth in France before emigrating to the United States as a young man. There he cultivated both his passion for observing wildlife and his remarkable ability as a draftsman. By 1819, Audubon had committed himself fully to the life of an artist-naturalist, undertaking extensive journeys through the American wilderness to study and record the continent's fauna directly from nature.

These efforts culminated first in the publication of the monumental The Birds of America, which illustrated more than 700 bird species across 435 plates and established Audubon's international reputation. Building upon the success of that achievement, Audubon collaborated with his sons and Bachman to produce The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, the first large-scale illustrated study devoted to the mammals of the continent. The large folios were resized and republished in smaller octavo volumes as well. These landmark works transformed the fields of ornithology, mammalogy, and natural history illustration, setting new standards for scientific accuracy and artistic documentation. 

CONDITION:

Fine condition. Vibrant original handcoloring. No signs of toning or staining. The title line at bottom center reads: “Ovis Montana, Desm/ Rocky Mountain Sheep /Male & Female/1 Natural Size.” Bottom publication line reads: “Drawn from Nature by J.J. Audubon FRSFLS” at left, “Litho.d, Printed & Col.d by J.T. Bowen. Philadelphia 1845” at right. Page number is printed at top left “No. 15” and the plate number  is printed at top right “Plate LXXIII.”

The lithograph is framed in a custom wood burl and gold frame, with acid-free mats, and Plexiglas.  Framed dimensions: 29 ¾” H x 35 ¼” W x 1” D

26” H x 20” W (image)

Framed Dimensions: 29 3/4” H x 35 1/4” W x 1” D. 

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.