Elizabeth Gould (illustrator)

Elizabeth Gould (nee Coxen) (18 July 1804 - 15 August 1841) was a British artist and illustrator, married to naturalist John Gould. She produced many illustrations for his ornithological works.

Elizabeth was born in Ramsgate, England. She married John Gould in January 1829, and he encouraged her to learn lithography and had his collaborator Edward Lear teach her. Becoming proficient with the art form she went on to use to create illustrations from John's drawings.Australian Museum. [http://www.amonline.net.au/exhibitions/gould/artists/elizabeth.htm Elizabeth Gould] ] She produced over 600 lithographs, which appeared with the illustrations of Edward Lear in:

*"A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains" (1831 and 1832).
*"The Birds of Europe" (1832-37)
*"A Monograph of the Ramphastidae" (1834)
*"A Monograph of the Trogonidae" (1835-38),
*"A Synopsis of the Birds of Australia (1837-38)
*"The Birds of Australia" (1837-38)
*"Icones Avium" (1837-38)

Her early illustrations have been described as stiff, and while they improved with experience they remained quite formal compositions.A. H. Chisholm, [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010426b.htm Gould, Elizabeth (1804 - 1841)] , Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, Melbourne University Press, 1966, p. 465.]

The Goulds and the oldest of their surviving 4 children travelled to Australia in 1838. She spent much of her time in Hobart as a guest of Jane Franklin, while John travelled extensively collecting specimens she drew and painted his collection.

Elizabeth made hundreds of drawings from specimens for the publications "Birds of Australia" and "A Monograph of the Macropodidæ", or "Family of Kangaroos", as well as illustrations for the ornithology volume of Charles Darwin’s "Zoology of the Voyage of HMS Beagle." [Linda Hall Library. [http://www.lindahall.org/events_exhib/exhibit/exhibits/womenswork/gould3.shtml Portraits of 12 Scientific Illustrators from the 17th to the 21st Century] ]

She bore one son while living in Australia, and gave birth to their eighth child when they returned to England in 1840. [Only 6 of the Gould's children survived to adulthood.] She died shortly thereafter.

The drawings she produced in Australia were made into lithographs by H. C. Richter and published under his name. [Kenneth Spencer Research Library. John Gould, his birds and beasts - [http://spencer.lib.ku.edu/exhibits/gould/collections/gould.htm John and Elizabeth Gould] ] Subsequently her reputation and importance became almost totally eclipsed by the fame of her husband.

The tropical finch "Chloebia gouldiae" and the sunbird "Aethopyga gouldiae" were named in her honour. A complete account of her life was published in the 1944 book "The Story of Elizabeth Gould".

References

External links

* [http://www.nla.gov.au/collect/treasures/apr_treasure.html John Gould's Birds of Australia]
* [http://www.lindahall.org/events_exhib/exhibit/exhibits/womenswork/gould1.shtml Linda Hall Library Portraits of 12 Scientific Illustrators from the 17th to the 21st Century]

ee also

*List of wildlife artists