John Gould Bird Art Prints

Gould is best known for The Birds of Australia, published in seven volumes and depicting hundreds of species, and for his monograph on hummingbirds, which appeared in England between 1849 and 1861. His volumes on the birds of Asia are also widely admired. Reproductions drawn from these bird books remain among the most recognisable of all natural-history plates, which is why they translate so well into decorative wall art.

Not entirely. Gould was an ornithologist who usually made the initial compositional sketches, then handed them to skilled artists who worked the designs up into finished plates. His wife, Elizabeth Gould, was among the most important of these collaborators, along with several other illustrators. The nineteenth-century originals were issued as hand-coloured lithographs, and it is that layered, softly tinted look that modern reproductions echo.

Audubon is the natural companion, since both worked in the golden age of hand-coloured ornithological plates, and the two styles hang together comfortably in a mixed gallery wall. Botanical plates, antique maps and other natural-history studies also pair nicely, sharing the same pale grounds and fine linework. To keep a wall calm, repeat one frame colour and let the birds supply all the variety.

Bird plates are quietly versatile, so they suit dining rooms, hallways, home offices and bedrooms equally well. Their cream backgrounds sit happily against warm neutrals, deep greens and panelled walls, while a single large piece can anchor a mantelpiece or a stairwell. Because these are decorative reproductions rather than fragile antiques, you can hang them freely, and returns are accepted for 99 days if a piece does not suit the space.