Dusky Albatros (Plate CCCCVII)

Price Realised USD 4,032

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USD 1,200 - USD 1,800

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AFTER JOHN JAMES AUDUBON (1785-1851), BY ROBERT HAVELL (1793-1878)

Dusky Albatros (Plate CCCCVII)

Price Realised USD 4,032

AFTER JOHN JAMES AUDUBON (1785-1851), BY ROBERT HAVELL (1793-1878)
Dusky Albatros (Plate CCCCVII)
Diomedea fusca
engraving with etching, aquatint and hand-coloring, circa 1838, on watermarked J Whatman paper dated 1837, with margins
21⁵⁄₈ x 28³⁄₈ in. (55 x 72 cm.) plate on 25³⁄₄ x 38¹⁄₂ (65.5 x 95.5 cm.) sheet

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This lot is offered by Christie's Inc

Brought to you by

Nathalie FerneauHead of Sale, Junior Specialist

A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.

nferneau@christies.com +1 (212) 636 2236

Lot Essay

The current name of this bird is the Light-Mantled Albatross. "Audubon never saw this bird in the wild. The Albatross skin was among the large collection of bird skins brought to Philadelphia by Townsend and Nuttall, members of the Wyeth expedition, which explored the Columbia River in Oregon, in 1834-36 [although the skin's origin is a mystery. It is sad that Audubon] only had the skin from which to work. If only he could have seen this magnificent bird with its seven-foot wingspan in full flight—one of the most spectacular sights in the world of oceanic birds" (Low, p.210).