Audubon Prints, Birds and Animal Art, Botanical Art, Information
Natural History Art Treasures under $10,000
Jun
Collecting original art doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, there are a surprising number of original prints and paintings that can be acquired with a modest to moderate investment. This article examines some of Joel Oppenheimer Gallery’s best finds under $10,000!
Table of Contents
Antique Original Wildlife Prints
John James Audubon
As the most notable early contributor to wildlife art in America, John James Audubon revolutionized the field by marrying artistry with scientific illustration in his Birds of America folio. His most desirable hand-colored engravings command upwards of $250,000 each, and more than 11 million for a complete Havell edition set.
However, despite this pricey precedent, antique original Audubon prints can be acquired for a very reasonable price. For example, Audubon’s Havell Ed. Pl 114, White-crowned Sparrow can enrich your art collection for only $6,500. This original 19th-century engraving boasts rich hand-applied color, intricate detail, and an attractive composition on a full double-elephant-size sheet of Whatman paper.
Similarly, Pl. 280 White-headed Pigeon from Audubon’s Bien edition can be acquired for $9,500. This vibrant and dramatic depiction captures a tender moment between the two birds. Coming from Audubon’s Bien edition – the rarest of his double-elephant folios – this print is an excellent way to add an original Audubon to your collection.
Explore Audubon's Birds
Bien Edition - Antique Originals
Original Chromolithograph | circa 1858-1860 | 39 x 26 inches
Bien Edition - Antique Originals
Original Chromolithograph | circa 1858-1860 | 39 x 26 inches
Bien Edition - Antique Originals
Original Chromolithograph | circa 1858-1860 | 39 x 26 inches
Bien Edition - Antique Originals
Original Chromolithograph | circa 1858-1860 | 39 x 26 inches
Bien Edition - Antique Originals
Audubon Bien Ed. Pl. 251 Mango Humming Bird & Pl. 252 Columbian Humming Bird
Original Chromolithograph | circa 1858-1860 | 39 x 26 inches
Bien Edition - Antique Originals
Original Chromolithograph | circa 1858-1860 | 39 x 26 inches
Bien Edition - Antique Originals
Audubon Bien Ed. Pl. 191 White-throated Sparrow & Pl. 192 White-crowned Sparrow
Original Chromolithograph | circa 1858-1860 | 39 x 26 inches
Bien Edition - Antique Originals
Audubon Bien Ed. Pl. 127 Carolina Titmouse & Pl. 128 Hudson’s Bay Titmouse
Original Chromolithograph | circa 1858-1860 | 39 x 26 inches
Mark Catesby
18th-century artist Mark Catesby made a name for himself in natural history art through his engaging depictions of plants and animals. His distinctive, rudimentary style makes his work immediately recognizable. Pl. 10, The Parrot of Paradise of Cuba is exemplary of his charming style and can be acquired for only $6,500. This desirable image captures the exotic bird in an engaging composition.
A Monograph of the Phasianidae or Family of Pheasants - Antique Originals
Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1872 | 23 ½ x 18 ½ inches
Daniel Giraud Elliot
In a dazzling panoply of colors and patterns, Elliot’s Pl. 32, Great Argus Pheasant is captured with astonishing detail. This lithograph boasts vivid hand-applied color with select areas of glossy gum arabic, accentuating the iridescence of the bird’s plumage. A perfect addition to your rustic home or lodge, this magnificent pheasant can enhance your environment for $8,500.
Birds of Europe - Antique Originals
Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1832 – 1837 | 21 ¾ x 15 inches
Birds of Europe - Antique Originals
Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1832 – 1837 | 21 ¾ x 15 inches
One of the great ornithological artists of his era, the multi-talented Edward Lear (1804 – 1888) was a self-taught naturalist and painter who contributed to a number of John Gould’s publications including The Birds of Europe. This elegant pair of cranes is the perfect way to elevate any environment. Lithographed and hand-colored on 21 ¾” × 15” paper, these antique original prints capture the avian species in full color and detail. These prints make for an attractive diptych or standalone centerpieces. Enrich your collection with these magnificent pieces of natural history art!
Explore antique bird and wildlife art
Histoire Naturelle des Perroquets - Original Paintings
Original Miniature Painting
Birds of Europe - Antique Originals
Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1832 – 1837 | 21 ¾ x 15 inches
A Monograph of the Birds of Paradise - Antique Originals
Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1872 | 23 ½ x 18 ½ inches
British Ornithology Volume 2, Water Birds- Antique Originals
Original Hand-colored engraving from American Ornithology 1st Edition - 1808 – 1814
Family of Toucans – Antique Originals
Original hand-colored lithograph; circa 1852 - 1854
Histoire Naturelle des Perroquets – Antique Originals
Original hand-colored engraving | circa 1801 | 21 ? x 14 3/8 inches
Fuertes Original Paintings
Original Watercolor Painting
American Ornithology 1st Edition – Antique Originals
Wilson 1st Edition, Pl. 38 Barn Swallow; White-bellied S.; Bank S.
Original Hand-colored engraving from American Ornithology 1st Edition - 1808 – 1814
Antique Original botanical engravings
Basilius Besler
Basilius Besler’s 17th-century engraving Pl. 73, Red and Yellow tulip, et al. delicately captures the details of the blossoming botanical. Elegantly engraved on laid paper, this 17th-century print has a tactile quality emphasized by the paper texture, raised linework, and platemark. As part of the oldest and most costly florilegium, Hortus Eystettensis, this print is a valuable piece of history and an enchanting addition to antique and contemporary spaces alike. The tulips are a particularly desirable investment that can be acquired for $9,000.
Pierre-Joseph Redouté
Deemed the Rembrandt of Roses, Pierre-Joseph Redouté is a staple in any botanical collector’s home. His ethereal florals earned favor with three consecutive three successive French Empresses – Marie-Antoinette, Josephine Bonaparte, and Marie-Amelie. Earning the position of royal flower painter, Redouté published three magnificent folios depicting plants from the French imperial gardens – Les Liliacées, Les Roses, and Choix des plus belles fleurs.
Pl. 25, Apothecary’s Rose is a particularly desirable rose that can be acquired for $9.450. From the imperial French gardens to your home, this delicate rose promises to elevate and refine any space. The print is hand-colored and stipple- engraved on antique paper measuring 14 ¼” × 10 ⅝”. Elevate your environment with a flower from Empress Josephine’s garden!
Les Roses - Antique Originals
Original stipple engraving | circa 1817 – 1824 | 14 1/4 x 10 5/8 inches
Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium - 1726 Edition – Antique Originals
Original hand-colored engraving | circa 1726 | 21 5/8 x 14 inches
Maria Sibylla Merian
Maria Sibylla Merian, a 17th-century artist and entomologist, was one of the first to discover and document insect metamorphosis. Her engaging compositions from Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname depict the various stages of the insects development against a botanical backdrop.
The 1726 engraving Pl. 49, Lantern Fly with Pomegranate Flower captures the developmental cycle of the lantern fly on a fruiting pomegranate branch. This 18th-century hand-colored engraving bears the platemark – a rectangular depression in the paper around the perimeter of the image area – from the intaglio printing process. Printed on laid paper and colored by hand, the artwork features luscious colors, charming details, and nuanced textures that bring the image to life. For $5,500, you can enhance your art collection and enliven your walls with this delightful antique engraving.
explore botanical art
A Selection of Hexadrian Plants – Antique Originals
Original hand-colored engraving | circa 1831 ? 1834 | 25 x 18 ? inches
Botanical Art
Antique original color stipple engraving | circa 1839 - 1843 | 13 1/2 x 10 3/8 inches
Hortus Eystettensis – Deluxe Edition – Uncolored Originals
Besler Deluxe Ed. Pl. 138, White oleander, Basil, Small-leaved basil
Original Engraving | circa 1613 | 22 x 16.5 inches
Native Plants of the Woods and Prairie – Original Paintings
Heeyoung Kim Watercolor on Paper – Pale Vetchling, Lathyrus ochroleucus
Original watercolor botanical painting | circa 2014
Oppenheimer Editions Fine Art Print | circa 2008 | Limited Edition of 200 | 13 1/2 x 10 3/8 inches
Les liliacées - Antique Originals
Antique original color stipple engraving; circa 1802 – 1816
A Monograph of Orchids - Original Lithographs
Original Hand-colored Lithograph | circa 1864 | 21.875 x 15.25 inches
Botanical Art
Antique original color stipple engraving | circa 1839 - 1843 | 13 1/2 x 10 3/8 inches
Original Watercolor Paintings
In addition to antique prints, the Joel Oppenheimer Gallery offers original paintings. Among our most notable wildlife and botanical painters are Louis Agassiz Fuertes and Heeyoung Kim.
Fuertes Original Paintings
Louis Agassiz Fuertes Original Watercolor – Green-winged Teal
Original Watercolor Painting
Fuertes Original Paintings
Louis Agassiz Fuertes Original Watercolor – Williamson’s Sapsuckers
Original Watercolor Painting
Louis Agassiz Fuertes
Fuertes is one of the greatest artists-naturalists of the 20th and his life-like bird portraits are sought after by major institutions and private collections worldwide. The Green-winged Teal and Williamson’s Sapsuckers beautifully capture the intricacies of the birds with remarkable color, texture, and detail. These one-of-a-kind original watercolor paintings can be yours for less than $10,000 each.
Native Plants of the Woods and Prairie – Original Paintings
Heeyoung Kim Watercolor on Paper – Fringed Gentian, Gentianopsis crinita
Original watercolor botanical painting | circa 2014
Native Plants of the Woods and Prairie – Original Paintings
Heeyoung Kim Watercolor on Paper – Chocolate Cosmos, Cosmos atrosanguineus
Original watercolor botanical painting | circa 2014
Heeyoung Kim
Heeyoung Kim’s original botanical paintings are equally as captivating. Kim, a contemporary botanical artist, instructor, and native plant advocate, often depicts the native plants of the Midwestern woods and prairies. Focusing on rare and endangered plant species, her highly detailed, superb renderings meld scientific accuracy, ecological activism, and artistry.
The vibrant color and hyper-realism of the Fringed Gentian and Chocolate Cosmos make the plants appear otherworldly. These one-of-a-kind watercolor paintings exhibit unparalleled detail and sensitivity to the flower’s form. Elevate your environment with this lovely pair for less than $10,000 each.
explore original paintings
Fuertes Original Paintings
Original Watercolor Painting
Fuertes Original Paintings
Original Watercolor Painting
Fuertes Original Paintings
Original Watercolor Painting
Fuertes Original Paintings
Original Watercolor Painting
Fuertes Original Paintings
Louis Agassiz Fuertes Original Watercolor – Green-winged Teal
Original Watercolor Painting
Fuertes Original Paintings
Louis Agassiz Fuertes Original Watercolor – Williamson’s Sapsuckers
Original Watercolor Painting
Browse the Joel Oppenheimer Gallery collection
