Six Original Watercolors — Shore Birds c.1820 (Matched Set)
Six Original Watercolors — Shore Birds c.1820 (Matched Set)
A matched set of six original 19th-century watercolors of shore birds — unique hand-painted works, likely part of an anonymous naturalist's working portfolio documenting coastal species of North America c.1820. The watercolors are consistent in hand, paper, and scale — ideal for coordinated display.
About Early American Ornithological Watercolor
The early 19th century was the golden age of American ornithological painting. Alexander Wilson's nine-volume American Ornithology (1808–1814) and John James Audubon's Birds of America (begun 1820s) are the landmark publications — but behind them stood a much broader culture of amateur ornithological watercoloring practiced by lady artists, gentleman naturalists, physicians, and schoolteachers. Shore birds were especially popular subjects because they could be observed at leisure along coastlines, and their long-legged forms translated beautifully to watercolor.
Why Buy as a Set
Six coordinated original watercolors framed as a 2×3 or 3×2 grid create an extraordinary decorative statement — the visual equivalent of a naturalist's personal portfolio brought indoors. The matched hand, paper, and period ensure visual coherence no curated assemblage of unrelated pieces can match. Ideal for dining rooms, coastal cottages, Gulf Coast and Floridian interiors, and nautical-themed studies. Individual watercolors also available; the set offers significant savings over the individual prices and guarantees matched paper tone and sizing.
Dimensions
Each sheet approximately 6 × 8 inches
Frame: This original watercolor ships unframed — we strongly recommend archival framing with UV-protective glass to preserve the original pigments. Happy to recommend framers in your area.
Shipping Terms
Shipping costs vary by product, packaging requirements, destination, carrier, and insurance value. We do not use flat-rate shipping because antique prints, maps, paintings, and books each require different packing — some ship flat between archival boards, some ship rolled, some require custom-built crates with shock absorption, and framed pieces need extra protection for glass and corners.
How our shipping process works:
- You place your order (shipping is calculated as $0 at checkout)
- We prepare a custom shipping quote for your destination — typically within 24 hours
- We contact you to confirm carrier options (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL), insurance value, and delivery timeline
- Once you approve the shipping quote, we send a separate invoice for shipping
- We pack with archival-grade materials and insure at full value
Questions on shipping before you buy? Contact us with your zip code (or international address) and we'll provide a quote before you commit to purchase.
Important Buyer Notice
These pieces are antique originals, ranging from approximately 100 to over 400 years old. Each piece will show varying degrees of age-appropriate condition: paper toning, foxing, edge wear, fold marks, minor restoration, light staining, and other natural signs of age are common and expected for works of this period. Condition varies from piece to piece.
It is the buyer's responsibility to confirm that the piece is in the condition they require before purchase. We are always happy to answer any questions about the state of the work, provide additional photographs of specific areas, describe any flaws or repairs in detail, or arrange a video review before you buy. Please contact us at any time with questions — we believe an informed buyer is the best customer.
All pieces are guaranteed authentic originals (not reproductions, facsimiles, or modern prints). We offer a full refund if authenticity is ever disputed by a qualified third party.