von Wright - Great European Falcons - 3 lithographic prints

These three 100+ year old lithographic prints of some of the most majestic of all birds are from the monumental work ”Svenska Fåglar efter Naturen och på Sten Ritade”, published during the period 1917-29. Created by the world-famous ornithological illustrators the von Wright brothers, their masterpiece three-volume work stands today as one of the finest of its epoch.

The large format – 375 x 280 mm – allows the fine, detailed and very precise illustrations to fully come to their right. These prints look fabulous in a frame. The condition of these pieces are excellent, the colour standing out wonderfully despite the ca. 100 years that have passed since the printing (the opaque vertical lines in some of the photos are not true, they are a faulty effect from the lighting/camera combination).

The Peregrine falcon, known widely just as "the Peregrine" (Falco peregrinus), depicted here as an adult male, is famous for having the fastest known flight of any living being. It is a highly specialized hunter and a hugely successful species, with an almost worldwide distribution (with many subspecies).

The Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo), depicted as an adult, is as elegant and dainty on the wing as it is beautiful. Not uncommon in Europe and Asia, it is never-the-less often overlooked. It mostly overwinters in sub-Saharan Africa.

The impressive Gyr falcon (Falco rusticolus), depicted is an adult female, is an increasingly rare northern hemisphere high latitude falcon. It is the largest member of its family (the world's largest falcon).

Together, a fabulous set of falcon prints!