Lafresnaya flavicaudata (Buff-tailed Velvet-breast)

Art Historical Context

This hand-colored lithograph depicts the Buff-tailed Velvetbreast (Lafresnaya flavicaudata), a striking hummingbird native to the Andean regions of South America. Created by the renowned British ornithologist and artist John Gould in collaboration with lithographer H.C. Richter, the print dates from the early nineteenth century, a period of intense scientific exploration and classification of the natural world. Gould’s illustrations were celebrated for their precision and vitality, helping to introduce exotic bird species to European audiences through lavishly illustrated volumes. The medium ...

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...