Thomasville Center for the Arts

John Gould

John Gould was an artist and researcher in the 18th Century. As an illustrator and expert in taxidermy, Gould dedicated his life to observing birds and capturing their appearance and behavior. Gould studied birds all over the world through illustration, working with the Zoological Society of London, Charles Darwin, and many of the country’s leading scientists. His scientific papers, mostly devoted to the description of new species, earned him worldwide recognition. His wife, Elizabeth Coxen, transferred these illustrations to a lithographer’s stone to transform them into monograph prints. The couple acted as an artistic team, producing volumes of cherished books. The prints in this exhibit are extracted from one of these volumes,  Birds of Great Britain, Vol. II.  

What is the line between scientific illustration and art? These pieces are filled with incredible detail and life-like subtlety, seeming to capture the movement and spirit of animals in action.