John Gould, Family of Toucans

Gould's magnificent toucans

Vivid and animated, in living color

John Gould (1804–1881) was without question the most prolific ornithological artist of the 19th century, and the only one to rival John James Audubon in ambition and quality. Gould shared the romantic enthusiasm of his time for bird specimens as well as the popular impulse to catalogue. He combined his passion for natural history with outstanding scientific, artistic and entrepreneurial talents. Drawing on these abilities, he embarked on a series of projects that would eventually make him the leading publisher of ornithological illustrations in Victorian Britain. Gould's unparalleled career spanned five decades, during which he produced a series of books depicting birds from all over the world.

The dazzling illustrations from Gould's Monograph of the Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans, are generally thought to represent his most dramatic, magnificent images. The amazing range of vivid colors—shiny black, vibrant red, yellow, and orange—creates an unprecedented sense of animation. Shown against simple backgrounds, the birds seem to emerge, large and engaging, from the page; Gould's toucans appear as living creatures, not two-dimensional representations. The inspiration for Toucans came while Gould was working on his Birds of Europe, when he became fascinated by the toucan collection of a fellow ornithologist. He made several trips to central European museums to gather material for Toucans, and after publication of the first edition, redrew some of the plates and added 20 new birds to this revised and expanded second edition. All are included here.

Monograph of the Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans, London, 1852–1854, 51 hand-colored lithographs

The author:
Jonathan Elphick is a British natural history author, editor, consultant, researcher and lecturer, specializing in ornithology. His many books include an acclaimed historical survey of ornithological illustration, Birds: The Art of Ornithology. Based in London, he is a Scientific Fellow of the Zoological Society of London and a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London.