Rhamphomicron olivaceum (Olivaceous Thornbill).

From A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds, 6 vols., large folio. Published in London, 1849–1887. Printed by Hullmandel and Walter from drawings by J. Gould, H. C. Richter, and William Hart, lithographed by the artists.

The Olivaceous Thornbill is a small, compact hummingbird native to the high Andes, notable for its short, straight bill and subtle olive-green plumage that shimmers with bronze reflections in natural light. In Gould’s hand-colored lithograph, the bird is shown perched delicately on a flowering stem, its modest coloration rendered with remarkable subtlety and accuracy. Though less flamboyant than many of its tropical relatives, the Olivaceous Thornbill exemplifies the understated beauty that Gould and his artists captured through precise observation and careful use of metallic pigment.

John Gould’s Monograph of the Trochilidae remains one of the most ambitious and visually captivating achievements in ornithological illustration. Completed over nearly forty years, it brought together Gould’s expertise as both a naturalist and publisher with the refined artistry of Henry Constantine Richter and William Hart. The series transformed the scientific study of hummingbirds into a work of fine art, preserving their luminous forms for generations of collectors and naturalists.