Antique Bird Prints: Audubon, Gould, Catesby and Wilson

Antique bird prints are having a moment — and for good reason: they bring color, history and natural elegance to a wall in a way no mass-market poster can. But "antique bird print" covers four very different masters. John James Audubon painted birds as drama. John Gould painted them as jewels. Mark Catesby painted them first — a full century before Audubon. And Alexander Wilson, Audubon's great rival, painted them as science. This guide covers all four, what makes each style distinct, and the best framed plates from each you can hang today.

John James Audubon: The Drama

Audubon (1785–1851) spent eleven years publishing The Birds of America — 435 life-size plates that remain the most famous bird images ever made. His signature: birds caught mid-action, at full scale, composed like theater.

Pl 1 Wild Turkey — Framed from $289.09. The plate that opened The Birds of America — the most iconic single image in American natural history.

Pl 211 Great Blue Heron — Framed from $292.59. The bent-neck heron, folded impossibly to fit the folio page — a composition born of necessity that became his most elegant.

Pl 97 Little Screech Owl — Framed from $275.09, alongside the Pl 251 Brown Pelican (from $340.89) — two of the most-requested plates for offices and coastal rooms. Our full Audubon collection holds 422 framed works organized by original plate number.

John Gould: The Jewels

Gould (1804–1881), Britain's answer to Audubon, produced over 3,000 plates in his lifetime — none more beloved than his monograph of hummingbirds, rendered with iridescent color that seems lit from within.

Antique Gould Hummingbird I — Custom framed to order; pairs with Hummingbird II as an instant vertical duo.

Hummingbird Delight VI — Framed from $268.99. Part of an eleven-plate series — the deepest matched hummingbird set anywhere; see also the classic Hummingbird III and our full hummingbird art gallery.

Mark Catesby: The Pioneer

A century before Audubon, Catesby (1683–1749) published his Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands (1731–1743) — the first illustrated account of North American flora and fauna, with birds posed among the plants they actually lived with. His plates carry a folk-art directness that reads wonderfully fresh today.

Antique Kingfisher II — Custom framed to order. Catesby's kingfisher plates capture his signature bird-with-habitat approach; we'll cover his full story in a dedicated guide later this week.

Alexander Wilson: The Scientist

Wilson (1766–1813), the Scottish-born "father of American ornithology," published his nine-volume American Ornithology before Audubon printed a single plate — and their rivalry shaped both careers. Wilson's plates group several species per page, precise and orderly: the choice for collectors who prefer field-guide clarity over drama. Explore Wilson alongside all four masters in our framed bird art gallery.

Which Style Belongs in Your Home?

Audubon for statement walls: living rooms, offices, cabins — large plates, gold or walnut frames, generous mats. Gould for color moments: powder rooms, bedrooms, reading corners — jewel-box plates in slim gold frames. Catesby for collected charm: kitchens, breakfast nooks, hallways. Wilson for study walls: offices and libraries, hung in grids. Mixing masters works when the framing is identical — the different hands become the story, just like our botanical gallery walls.

The Framer's Treatment for Antique Bird Plates

Double mat (soft white over a thin inner mat pulled from the plumage — sage, slate blue or gold), a traditional wood frame, and Museum UV glazing for sunlit rooms. Bird plates with plate numbers (like our Audubon series) deserve a wider bottom mat — the archival-document look that collectors love.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Audubon and Gould bird prints?

Audubon painted life-size birds in dramatic action for The Birds of America; Gould produced smaller, jewel-like plates — especially hummingbirds — with luminous color. Audubon reads as theater, Gould as treasure.

Who made the first bird prints of America?

Mark Catesby, whose Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands (1731–1743) was the first published illustrated account of North American birds and plants — nearly a century before Audubon.

Are these original antique prints?

These are museum-quality archival reproductions of the original plates, printed on heavy art paper with fade-resistant inks and custom framed by hand in our New Jersey facility.

How should I hang a mixed bird print gallery wall?

Keep frames and mats identical across all plates, space 2–3 inches apart, and center the arrangement at 57–60 inches. Group by orientation — verticals together read cleaner with bird plates.

Shop the Collection

Start with the 422-plate Audubon collection, browse Gould's hummingbirds, or explore the full framed bird art gallery spanning all four masters — every plate custom framed to order in New Jersey. For the wider natural-history story, see our Diderot encyclopedia guide and Sydenham Edwards guide.