Oppenheimer

George Edwards American Goldfinch

 The first illustration of the portfolio bears an ink script Arabic numeral 2 in the upper left corner. The bird has been tentatively identified as an American Goldfinch, though it differs significantly from the plate and description that Edwards later gives of that bird in plate 274 of his Gleanings of Natural History (1760), which were engraved directly onto the plate from life. The most notable difference between the birds that Edwards illustrated and the drawing under discussion is the black-spotted plumage found on the bird in the drawing; it is possible that this drawing might actually depict a female or juvenile lesser goldfinch, which ranges from the southwestern United States to Venezuela and Peru. The plumage of the females and juveniles are more or less grayish olive-green on the upperparts with yellowish underside and have a dark grey bill, although they too are unspotted.

• 10 ¾'' height by 9'' width
• Unframed Oppenheimer Edition Reproduction Print
• Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery
• Contact The Shop at Drayton Hall for framing options and pricing 843-769-2610