Audubon Bowen Octavo Pl. 30, Cotton Rat

Name: Audubon Bowen Octavo Pl. 30, Cotton Rat
Brand: Joel Oppenheimer Inc
SKU: OCQ-030
Availability: InStock

$300.00

Original hand-colored lithograph | circa 1850 | 10 ¼ x 6 ½ inches

SKU: OCQ-030 Category: Quadruped Octavo Edition - Antique Originals

The Audubon Bowen Octavo Pl. 30, Cotton Rat combines the beauty of John James Audubon’s seminal imagery with the convenient miniature Octavo scale to create a delightful wildlife experience on any wall.

Initially issued by Audubon as a portable and affordable alternative to his monumental Imperial-sized prints, the Octavo edition remains popular for these same reasons today. Whether displayed individually or as a curated collection, Audubon’s Octavos add elegance and sophistication to any space. Own an original Audubon today and enrich your environment with this significant piece of American natural history.

About the Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America

Audubon’s Quadrupeds represent the most important body of wildlife art of the 19th century. Published between 1845 and 1848, the Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America was a collaborative project between John James Audubon, his two sons, and the renowned naturalist Reverend John Bachman. Containing 150 prints documenting the four-legged land mammals of North America, the prints were lithographed on imperial folio-size paper and hand-colored by the studio of the distinguished Philadelphia printmaker John T. Bowen.

The Royal Octavo edition of Audubon’s Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America captures his iconic images of North American mammals in miniature form. First published between 1849 and 1854, these antique original lithographs were printed and hand-colored by the studio of distinguished Philadelphia printmaker John T. Bowen. The smaller Octavo version of Audubon’s folio was popular for its relative affordability and portable scale.

About John James Audubon

America’s most revered artist-naturalist, John James Audubon (1785—1851), is renowned for his extraordinary undertaking to visually record the birds and mammals of North America. His publications The Birds of America & The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America are icons of 19th-century art and capture the nascent stages of American natural history.

Born in 1785 in Les Cayes, Santo Domingo (Haiti) to a Creole mother and French father, Audubon spent the early years of his life in France but moved to America at age 18. It was during this time that his appreciation for birds flourished and he developed a keen artistic acumen for rendering wildlife. It was not until 1819 when Audubon was married and the father of two sons, that he embraced the life of artist-naturalist and embarked on his venture through the backwoods of America with the intent of illustrating the avian life he encountered there.

Audubon’s muti-decade venture resulted in the publication of his monumental folio The Birds of America which documented over 700 bird species on 435 plates. In a similar manner and with the help of his two sons and his friend Reverend John Bachman, Audubon later produced The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, which contained 150 plates depicting the mammals of North America. Audubon’s folios were seismic in the fields of ornithology and mammalogy and set a new precedent for natural history illustration.

For more information about the Audubon Bowen Octavo Pl. 30, Cotton Rat, email us at [email protected] or check out our articles Discovering Audubon’s Animals in The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America and Visualizing the Human Impact on the Natural World in Audubon’s Quadrupeds.

More Information About Audubon PrintsView All Articles

Detail of Audubon's Watercolor's Pl. 421, Brown Pelican

Collecting Guide: Oppenheimer Editions Audubon Prints

April 4, 2024

Since its inception in 1996, our publishing company Oppenheimer Editions has partnered with major institutions to make their holdings available as modern facsimile prints. Several [...]

Before the advent of photography, artists often referenced the living creature or stuffed specimen for their art.

Exploring Early Methods of Specimen Collection in Natural History Art

March 27, 2024

Have you ever wondered where the reference material for antique wildlife prints and paintings came from? In an era before photography, how did the artist [...]

In a satirical cartoon for Puck magazine, a woman wearing a plume bedecked hat aims a gun at a rookery of snowy herons.

Casualties of Fashion: The Contentious History of Plume Plundering

July 18, 2023

Though the idea of ornamenting oneself with a bird carcass may be a bit deterring today, historically, birds and their feathers have played a major [...]

The Etcher’s Press - The Printmaker’s Shop

What is an Engraving? A Guide to Intaglio Printmaking Techniques

June 26, 2023

This article will examine the intaglio printmaking processes of engraving, etching, and their subsidiaries in relation to image production.

Investigating Audubon’s 50 Best Watercolors

June 22, 2023

The Oppenheimer Editions Fine Art Prints of Audubon's Watercolors for The Birds of America

Interspecific Encounters in Audubon’s Birds of America

June 22, 2023

Picturing Combat between Different Species in Audubon's Prints

Audubon’s Miniature Folio – The Octavo Edition of Birds of America

June 21, 2023

A survey of the technical translation of Audubon’s work from the monumental to the miniature.

A Modernist Approach to Understanding a Selection of Prints from Audubon’s Birds of America

June 21, 2023

A Discussion of Spatial and Perspectival Distortion, Challenging the Confines of the Print Perimeter, and the Representation of Disembodied Limbs in Audubon’s Art

Weight	1 lbs
Dimensions	10.25 × 6.5 × 0.125 in
Artist	John James Audubon
Publication Title	The Quadrupeds – Royal Octavo Edition
Type of Artwork	Antique Original
Medium	Hand-colored Lithograph
Creation Date	1850
Subject	Animals

Joel Oppenheimer, Inc. is committed to providing our customers with original, antique natural history art of the finest quality. Below you will find the terms and conditions of doing business with us and what to expect when you purchase artwork from our company.

Authenticity of Artwork

Joel Oppenheimer Gallery guarantees the authenticity of every piece of artwork as described. If you have any questions about the authenticity or condition of a piece, please call us at 312-642-5300 or email us at [email protected].
Return Policy

We accept returns of artwork purchased on our website within 30 days of the purchase date. Artwork returned in the same condition it was sent in is eligible for a complete refund. If it has been longer than 30 days and you wish to make an exchange, please contact a sales representative at [email protected] to make arrangements.
Payment

When purchasing art on our website, payment will be due in full when processing the order through the online shopping cart. If you would like to discuss alternate payment options, please contact the gallery at 312-642-5300 or [email protected]
Condition

Every piece of artwork shipped from Joel Oppenheimer Gallery will be sent in good to excellent condition unless otherwise stated. Due to the depth of our inventory, some artwork may need to be conserved before it is shipped to you. This service is included with the purchase of every piece of antique artwork at Joel Oppenheimer, Inc. Original Audubon Octavos 1st Edition will be shipped in an archival rag board mat. Audubon 2nd edition Octavos are shipped as is.
Delivery

Unframed artwork is typically shipped within 2 - 10 business days of purchase. If an antique piece requires conservation before it is shipped, this typically adds 5 - 10 business days to the delivery time. Framed artwork purchased online typically ship within 10 - 15 business days of the purchase date. You will be contacted in 2 - 3 business days with an estimated ship date. If you require expedited processing of your order, please contact us at 312-642-5300 or [email protected] and we will do what we can to accommodate your time frame.