{"product_id":"audubon-birds-in-calligraphy-by-oliver-b-goldsmith","title":"Audubon Birds in Calligraphy by Oliver B. Goldsmith","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAudubon Birds in Calligraphy by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOliver B. Goldsmith\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ec.1844\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLithograph\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDepicting a pair of birds perched upon a leafy branch, this engraved plate from Oliver B. Goldsmith's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eGoldsmith's Gems of Penmanship: Various Examples of the Calligraphic Art, Embracing the Author's System of Mercantile Penmanship, in Ten Lessons of One Hour Each, with Ample Instructions\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e(1844) demonstrates the remarkable possibilities of off-hand flourishing. Inspired by a composition \"from J. J. Audubon,\" the birds, foliage, and branch are formed entirely from countless interwoven loops, scrolls, and arabesques, transforming ordinary pen strokes into a richly detailed naturalistic scene. The intricate plumage, delicately rendered leaves, and fluid contours reveal extraordinary speed, precision, and control, while the inscription below proudly records that the work was \"Executed with Bagley's Gold Pen in 30 minutes.\" Published in New York as part of Goldsmith's self-issued manual, the plate exemplifies the nineteenth-century fascination with ornamental penmanship as both technical accomplishment and artistic performance, pushing the expressive potential of the written line far beyond conventional handwriting.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOliver B. Goldsmith was among the leading American penmanship masters of the mid-nineteenth century, a period when elegant handwriting was regarded as an essential professional skill and a marker of refinement. His manuals bridged practical commercial instruction with artistic virtuosity, inspiring generations of clerks, merchants, and teachers while showcasing the decorative potential of the pen. The elaborate zoomorphic and ornamental flourishes found throughout Goldsmith's Gems of Penmanship represent the pinnacle of the flourishing tradition that flourished before the widespread adoption of the typewriter. Scarce today, particularly in its original publisher's wrappers, the work remains one of the finest American penmanship manuals of its era and an important document of both graphic design and the history of writing instruction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eH 11 ½” x 14 ¼”W\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition: Minor foxing consistent with age\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ANTONIO RAIMO GALLERY","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53641007595799,"sku":"PR0179-13","price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0668\/3607\/0679\/files\/PR0179-13.1_84a4e3ae-35ac-401b-9358-b6e4a96430c6.jpg?v=1783433377","url":"https:\/\/antonioraimogallery.com\/products\/audubon-birds-in-calligraphy-by-oliver-b-goldsmith","provider":"ANTONIO RAIMO GALLERY","version":"1.0","type":"link"}