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Birds of Prey Prints, Antique Set of Three, Raptors & Hawks, 19th Century
£500 ($660, €590)
Period original, not a reproduction.
Shipped from the Netherlands, flat, insured and tracked, worldwide. Returns accepted within 14 days.
- Date
- Not stated
- Size
- 15.6 × 11.3 in (39.5 × 28.7 cm)
- Condition
- Very good impressions with rich coloring. Some mild toning consistent with age, occasional faint spotting, and light edge wear. Overall well-preserved with strong plate marks visible.
- Section
- Birds
- Reference
- f_46588672
Set of Three Antique Prints of Birds of Prey by Oskar von Riesenthal, 1894
Description: A rare and beautifully preserved set of three chromolithographs from Oskar von Riesenthal’s Die Raubvögel Deutschlands und des angrenzenden Mitteleuropas, published in Gera by S. B. Griesbach in 1894. This influential ornithological work, first issued in 1876–78, is celebrated for its detailed and lifelike depictions of raptors native to Germany and Central Europe. Sold as prints, not with frame.
The set includes:
– Taf. I: Buteo vulgaris (Common Buzzard), showing both light and dark morphs with a third bird in flight.
– Taf. XXXIX: Aquila orientalis (Steppe Eagle) and Aquila clanga (Greater Spotted Eagle), two imposing raptors presented perched on branches with a soaring figure in the background.
– Taf. X: Circus aeruginosus (Western Marsh Harrier), depicting a young male and an older female among reeds and rocks, emphasizing plumage variation by sex and age.
These plates are finely executed chromolithographs, noted for their precision and naturalistic detail, a hallmark of Riesenthal’s approach to ornithological illustration.
Artists and Engravers: Julius Adolf Oskar von Riesenthal (1830–1898), German forester, ornithologist, hunter, and writer, after an anonymous artist.
Condition: Very good impressions with rich coloring. Some mild toning consistent with age, occasional faint spotting, and light edge wear. Overall well-preserved with strong plate marks visible. Sold as prints, not with frame.
Framing tips: These prints make an elegant trio when displayed together. A double mat in soft cream or ivory with a thin dark border highlights the subtle earth tones of the birds. Frames in walnut or dark wood provide a classic finish, while gilded edges enhance their Victorian scientific charm.
Technique: Chromolithograph
Maker: Oskar von Riesenthal, Gera, 1894
