This original Audubon bird plate, Plate CVI, depicts grebes, loons, and petrels in a richly colored 19th-century chromolithograph. After Audubon’s original drawings, the work exemplifies the elegance, scientific rigor, and European-American printing traditions that define classic ornithological art.
Plate CVI: “Grebes, Loons & Petrels” is a 19th-century chromolithographic plate produced after the original drawings of John James Audubon, whose work reshaped both natural history illustration and fine art.
The composition presents multiple aquatic bird species arranged across shoreline and open water, including horned grebes, red-necked grebes, loons, and petrels, rendered in varied postures to demonstrate distinguishing anatomical features. Audubon’s characteristic grouping of species within a unified habitat allows the viewer to study behavior, proportion, and movement simultaneously.
Printed as a chromolithograph, the plate was produced using multiple lithographic stones to build layered color, texture, and tonal depth. This method—widely adopted in the mid-19th century—allowed publishers to reproduce Audubon’s imagery with visual richness while retaining fidelity to the original drawings.
The plate number “PL. CVI” appears in Roman numerals at the upper margin. The verso bears period handwritten annotations identifying species and catalog numbers, a practice typical of scholarly, dealer, or collector documentation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As issued, the work bears no artist signature.
This plate reflects Audubon’s enduring goal: to present birds not as static specimens, but as living creatures situated within their natural environments.
Born: April 26, 1785, Les Cayes, Saint-Domingue (now Haiti)
Died: January 27, 1851, New York City, USA
John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, artist, and naturalist whose work remains foundational to both wildlife art and scientific illustration.
Raised in France, Audubon received early training in drawing and music before emigrating to the United States in the early 19th century. He spent decades traveling extensively throughout North America, observing and documenting bird species in the field.
Audubon’s revolutionary approach involved drawing birds from life, often posing freshly collected specimens to capture accurate anatomy, posture, and behavior. His insistence on lifelike scale and dynamic composition distinguished his work from earlier natural history illustrators.
His magnum opus, The Birds of America (1827–1838), was produced in collaboration with European engravers and printers and remains one of the most important illustrated books ever published. Subsequent 19th-century editions, including chromolithographic issues, expanded the reach of his imagery while preserving its authority.
Audubon’s legacy extends into conservation and science; the Audubon Society was later named in his honor. His works are held in major museum and library collections worldwide.
John James Audubon (1785–1851)
Grebes, Loons & Petrels (Plate CVI)
Chromolithograph after Audubon, c.1860s
12 × 15 inches
Annotated verso
Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery; Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
This certifies that the accompanying artwork is an authentic 19th-century chromolithographic plate after John James Audubon, identified as Plate CVI and depicting grebes, loons, and petrels. The work is consistent with period Audubon chromolithographic editions in materials, printing technique, and presentation.
Issued by: Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
John James Audubon (original artwork, early 19th century)
19th-century chromolithographic edition, Europe/USA
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York City (acquired through NYC and European sources)
Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current owner)
This original Audubon bird plate, Plate CVI, depicts grebes, loons, and petrels in a richly colored 19th-century chromolithograph. After Audubon’s original drawings, the work exemplifies the elegance, scientific rigor, and European-American printing traditions that define classic ornithological art.
Plate CVI: “Grebes, Loons & Petrels” is a 19th-century chromolithographic plate produced after the original drawings of John James Audubon, whose work reshaped both natural history illustration and fine art.
The composition presents multiple aquatic bird species arranged across shoreline and open water, including horned grebes, red-necked grebes, loons, and petrels, rendered in varied postures to demonstrate distinguishing anatomical features. Audubon’s characteristic grouping of species within a unified habitat allows the viewer to study behavior, proportion, and movement simultaneously.
Printed as a chromolithograph, the plate was produced using multiple lithographic stones to build layered color, texture, and tonal depth. This method—widely adopted in the mid-19th century—allowed publishers to reproduce Audubon’s imagery with visual richness while retaining fidelity to the original drawings.
The plate number “PL. CVI” appears in Roman numerals at the upper margin. The verso bears period handwritten annotations identifying species and catalog numbers, a practice typical of scholarly, dealer, or collector documentation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As issued, the work bears no artist signature.
This plate reflects Audubon’s enduring goal: to present birds not as static specimens, but as living creatures situated within their natural environments.
Born: April 26, 1785, Les Cayes, Saint-Domingue (now Haiti)
Died: January 27, 1851, New York City, USA
John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, artist, and naturalist whose work remains foundational to both wildlife art and scientific illustration.
Raised in France, Audubon received early training in drawing and music before emigrating to the United States in the early 19th century. He spent decades traveling extensively throughout North America, observing and documenting bird species in the field.
Audubon’s revolutionary approach involved drawing birds from life, often posing freshly collected specimens to capture accurate anatomy, posture, and behavior. His insistence on lifelike scale and dynamic composition distinguished his work from earlier natural history illustrators.
His magnum opus, The Birds of America (1827–1838), was produced in collaboration with European engravers and printers and remains one of the most important illustrated books ever published. Subsequent 19th-century editions, including chromolithographic issues, expanded the reach of his imagery while preserving its authority.
Audubon’s legacy extends into conservation and science; the Audubon Society was later named in his honor. His works are held in major museum and library collections worldwide.
John James Audubon (1785–1851)
Grebes, Loons & Petrels (Plate CVI)
Chromolithograph after Audubon, c.1860s
12 × 15 inches
Annotated verso
Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery; Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
This certifies that the accompanying artwork is an authentic 19th-century chromolithographic plate after John James Audubon, identified as Plate CVI and depicting grebes, loons, and petrels. The work is consistent with period Audubon chromolithographic editions in materials, printing technique, and presentation.
Issued by: Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
John James Audubon (original artwork, early 19th century)
19th-century chromolithographic edition, Europe/USA
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York City (acquired through NYC and European sources)
Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current owner)
