Original 1844 John James Audubon “Polar Hare,” 27 × 34 in., Hand-Colored J.T. Bowen Lithograph
$3,868.99 $5,299.99
An original 1844 hand-colored lithograph from John James Audubon’s monumental The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, printed and colored by J. T. Bowen of Philadelphia — not a modern reproduction.
Polar Hare, Plate XXXII, belongs to Audubon’s celebrated Imperial Folio series documenting the mammals of North America. Each lithographic impression received its color by hand, giving these nineteenth-century sheets a character fundamentally different from later photographic or digital reproductions. The Amon Carter Museum holds another 1844 impression of this same plate in its permanent collection.
The hare is shown at natural size against a restrained mountainous landscape, combining Audubon’s close natural observation with the scale and presence for which the Imperial Folio is known.
Artist: John James Audubon (1785–1851)
Title: Polar Hare (Lepus glacialis), Plate XXXII
Date: 1844
Medium: Original hand-colored lithograph
Printer/Colorist: J. T. Bowen, Philadelphia
Series: The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America
Framed Size: 27 × 34 in.
Condition: Presented under glass in a period-style wood frame. The sheet shows toning/staining and corner losses consistent with its age and history. These condition points are visible in the photographs and have been retained rather than obscured or cosmetically disguised.
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