Antique Natural HistoryOriginal plates from the naturalists' books, 1600s to 1900s
Young Gannet in Speckled Juvenile Plumage after Lilian Medland, c. 1909
Young Gannet in Speckled Juvenile Plumage after Lilian Medland, c. 1909, view 2

Close-ups

Young Gannet in Speckled Juvenile Plumage after Lilian Medland, c. 1909, close-up 1Young Gannet in Speckled Juvenile Plumage after Lilian Medland, c. 1909, close-up 2

Framed and on the wall

Young Gannet in Speckled Juvenile Plumage after Lilian Medland, c. 1909, shown framedYoung Gannet in Speckled Juvenile Plumage after Lilian Medland, c. 1909, shown framed on a wallYoung Gannet in Speckled Juvenile Plumage after Lilian Medland, c. 1909, shown framed in a room

Frame and rooms are illustrations of how the print could look; the description says what is included.

Young Gannet in Speckled Juvenile Plumage after Lilian Medland, c. 1909

£245 ($325, €290)

Period original, not a reproduction.

Buy now Ask a question

Shipped from the Netherlands, flat, insured and tracked, worldwide. Returns accepted within 14 days.

Date
circa 1909
Technique
Photogravure
Coloring
Uncolored
Condition
Good. Light age toning; light handling soiling along the edges and a few small spots in the margins. Printed image clean.
Period
20th century
Section
Birds
Reference
BG-14331-3-25
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

This is an original antique bird print, a photogravure printed in black and gray tones without added color. It shows a young Gannet in its first plumage, standing on a rock at the edge of the sea with surf breaking at the left. The bird faces the viewer's left, its long pointed bill held level. The whole plumage is dark and closely flecked with small white spots on the head, neck, back and wings, the dress worn in the first year before the white adult plumage is gained over several years. The webbed feet and the long wedge shaped tail are clearly drawn.

The plate is lettered "PLATE CXLIX" at lower right and "2/7 scale" at lower center, the scale at which the bird is drawn. The artist's signature, "L. M. Medland", is drawn into the image. No species name is printed on the plate; the identification given here is made from the drawing itself.

Charles Stonham's The Birds of the British Islands was issued in London by E. Grant Richards in five volumes from 1906 to 1911, and this plate is from the third volume. Every plate in the work was made after drawings by Lilian M. Medland and printed by photogravure, so the tones of her original brush and wash drawing survive in a single ink. Medland later married the ornithologist Tom Iredale and moved to Australia.

Printed in a single tone on a generous sheet, the plate looks well in a plain frame with a pale mat, alone or as part of a group of birds.

Condition: Light age toning; light handling soiling along the edges and a few small spots in the margins. Printed image clean.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.

Ask about this print

We reply by email, usually within one working day.

Your favorites

Saved in this browser. Email the list to yourself to keep it on any device.

We use your email to send this list and, only if you tick the box and confirm, for occasional new arrivals. Every email has an unsubscribe link. Bartele Gallery, the Netherlands.