# John (1804) Gould artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/john-1804-gould/
Profile generated: 2026-08-24T08:48:22.366Z
Quality: low confidence, thin sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: British
- Common media: Works on paper and prints, Natural-history illustration

## Portrait

![John (1804) Gould](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/John_Gould.jpg)
T.H. Maguire (1821–1895) · Public domain
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Gould.jpg

## About John (1804) Gould

The collected evidence identifies John Gould (1804–1881) as a British ornithologist whose name is closely associated with illustrated natural-history publications. Public image metadata connects him with The Birds of Australia and The Birds of Great Britain, including plates depicting emus, cuckoos, and other zoological subjects. Collectors commonly encounter Gould-related material as individual bird or animal plates, groups of prints, and pages removed from larger published volumes. These works should be understood within a collaborative publishing context: the source pack includes an Australian bird illustration credited in its description to Elizabeth Gould, while the publication bears John Gould’s name. Attribution may therefore distinguish among author, publisher, artist, lithographer, printer, and later reproduction. The available auction index contains many records matched to John Gould, but its broad category labels and name-based matching require lot-level review before every record can be treated as belonging to the British ornithologist.

## Common works and media

Commonly encountered material includes natural-history works on paper, especially bird and animal illustrations associated with published series such as The Birds of Australia and The Birds of Great Britain. Auction offerings may consist of single plates, groups of related sheets, or material from bound publications. Because production could involve several contributors, catalogue descriptions should separate John Gould’s role from that of an illustrator, lithographer, printer, colorist, or later publisher whenever the evidence permits.

## Market and appraisal context

Gould-related auction material should be compared at the level of the individual object rather than against a single artist-wide result. Relevant facts include the publication or series, depicted species, printing method, dimensions, date, edition or impression, inscriptions, and whether the sheet is complete or trimmed. Condition issues such as fading, foxing, staining, tears, repairs, and later coloring can affect comparability. Provenance, catalogue references, attribution confidence, and evidence identifying the artist, lithographer, printer, or publisher also matter. Appraisily’s public index supplies matched sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots, but broad category assignments and name matching should be verified against each lot description and image.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine public artist-identity research with matched auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. Identity, attribution, edition, condition, and name-match quality should be verified for the specific object.

## Sources

- Appraisily: https://appraisily.com/artist/john-1804-gould/
- Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Gould.jpg
- Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Gould_Emu.jpg
- Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Macropus_greyi_-_Gould.jpg
- Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Gould_(British,_1804-1881)_-_The_Birds_of_Great_Britain,_Cuculus_canorus_-_1976.144_-_Cleveland_Museum_of_Art.jpg