Audubon's Fifty Best Watercolors Oppenheimer Set of Prints

$ 60,000.00 Non-Member Price
$ 54,000.00 Member price. Join Now!
Description
Audubon's Fifty Best Watercolors

Strictly Limited to 150 complete sets

Audubon's Birds of America, comprised of 435 hand-colored engravings, was twelve years (1826-1838) in the making. Its masterfully designed compositions are clearly the work of a great artist. Hailed in his lifetime for his artistic achievement, Audubonfis status as an artist has continued to increase, and his work remains unchallenged as the superlative example of its genre.

Timing is everything. There are several important reasons why this was the perfect time in history to remake Audubon's Birds of America. When I first approached Ben Williams, Field Museum Librarian, with the idea of publishing Audubonfis Fifty Best© from the world famous Field Museum folio, he agreed with three stipulations. One, that we utilize state-of-the-art Giclée digital printing; two, that the number produced be strictly limited; and three, that there be no compromise that would, in any way, inhibit the quality of the prints. Heretofore, this technique was not possible, and the most prized possession of the museum rare book library would not have been made available for such a purpose.

The Oppenheimer Field Museum Edition of Audubonfis Fifty Best© is the first facsimile edition to accurately replicate the quality of the first Audubon edition of Birds of America completed in the 1830s.This publication achieves an esthetic quality that we can endorse as comparable to the originals. The remarkable similarity to the hand-colored Havell engravings cannot be overstated.

Each print is on Somerset velvet, an acid-free, cotton, and rag watercolor paper imported from England. The bottom right corner bears the Oppenheimer Editionsfi embossed stamp. The verso of each print is stamped, numbered and signed by The Field Museum Librarian.

Price range: Individual prints: $2,500--$9,000*

Complete sets of Audubon's Fifty Best: $60,000*

Shipping cost assesed at time of purchase

*Prices subject to availability - prices may change and may not be reflected on the site in real time we will confirm pricing before shipping if price changes.
Item Number: 5348