John Henry Gould b. 1830

Also known as Henry Gould, J. H. G., Dr John Henry Gould
  • Artist (Draughtsman)
Much of John Henry Gould's work was originally attributed to his father, but it is now recognised that he possessed his own artistic talent. His legacy is over 200 detailed paintings of mostly Australian birds' eggs, a rather particular fascination that complements his father's ornithological work. He travelled to India to work as an Assistant-Surgeon with the East India Company and this new local
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sketcher and medical practitioner, was the eldest child of John Gould and the illustrator and lithographer Elizabeth Gould , née Coxon. As a child of seven he accompanied his parents on a visit to Australia in 1838-40 to collect specimens and field data and to prepare plates for Gould’s Birds of Australia (1840-48 and 1869). In Hobart Town Henry was, according to his mother, 'a general favourite everywhere’. He was taught by Rev. T.J. Ewing and must also have seen much of his mother at her work sketching and painting birds and plants. If not directly given drawing lessons by Elizabeth herself, he undoubtedly absorbed knowledge of her approach and techniques. That he showed inclination towards drawing as a child is evidenced by John Gould’s comment in a letter to Elizabeth of 8 January 1839: 'I am happy to hear that Henry was drawing and trust he will be attentive to you in every way’.

Dr Henry Gould’s inclusion as an Australian artist rests upon the existence of three collections of 200 or more watercolour paintings of almost entirely Australian birds’ eggs of which some examples are signed 'J.H.G.’. Others are signed 'L.G.’ (possibly Louise Gould, the Goulds’ second daughter) and some are believed to be by Elizabeth Gould. Earlier attributed to John Gould, Henry Gould’s authorship of the paintings was uncovered, at least in part, by Chisholm in 1952 and confirmed by Sauer in 1982. The eggs are competently painted (see Emu vol. 52, plate 29) and show that Henry Gould possessed artistic skill.

Henry Gould, of whom little is otherwise known, was in Europe with his father in 1846, visiting 'the south of France, Switzerland and part of Germany’. He later studied medicine and as Dr John Henry Gould travelled again with his father to the island of Malta in 1854, proceeding from there alone 'to India to assume a post as an Assistant-Surgeon in the Honourable East India Company’s Service’. Henry Gould died on 4 October 1855 in Bombay, apparently of 'fever’.

Twelve letters from Henry to John Gould, privately printed by his father, give ample evidence of his interest in natural history. For example, Chisholm quotes a letter from Bombay in which he remarks: 'Ornithology, you may be sure, will not be forgotten. The following species have already fallen to your gift of a double-barrelled gun…’. His personality and outlook are further indicated in his letter of 5 October 1854 from Ghiznee:

I intend shooting everything that comes in my way, and it will be your task to determine whether anything is new or otherwise. You will say, this is rather Don-Quixotish; but the sight of a fine country will quite recompense me for any little self-disgust at the butchering nature of my propensities; all for science, “ça va bien”, the healing pill is swallowed. I wish that you could be with me, the trip would then be a great treat, and I might learn something. Please do let me know how to make “damper”, as, if I go, I shall have to be my own baker for a few months; I should like to know this by return of post, and also to receive any other hints your bush [i.e. Australian] experience enables you to give.

Writers:
McEvey, Allan
Date written:
1992
Last updated:
2011

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