COLLECTION OF THREE LATE 19TH CENTURY SAMUEL A. KILBOURNE CHROMOLITHOS, GAME FISHES OF THE UNITED STATES,Samuel A. Kilborne (American, 1836-81). Published New York, Charles Scribners, 1879-1880. Three matted, of the period lithographs consisting of Sea Bass on original board, measuring 14 1/8" high x 20 5/8" wide (#24063.3); Black Bass, removed from original board, measuring 14 1/8" high x 20 5/8" wide (#631.1); and King Fish, mounted on original board measuring 14 1/8" high x 20 5/8" wide. (#627.3)
'Samuel A. Kilbourne, a native of Bridgetown, Maine, was an accomplished painter of natural history subjects when he decided, in 1858, to specialize in painting fish. He was extremely successful and, as the plates in this work testify, very proficient in his work. The Game Fishes... was his greatest accomplishment, and has been described as having 'the most beautiful fish plates published in this country' (Bennett). A reviewer writing in The Century magazine in 1882 wrote of Kilbourne's depictions: "Mr. Kilbourne has succeeded in a difficult task. He has succeeded in uniting in his delineation the accuracy in details of form and coloring required by the naturalist, with that freedom of style, delicacy of handling, and naturalness of surroundings demanded by the artist." Estimate $500-600
Provenance: The Old Print Gallery, Washington, DC.
