Ionolaima frontalis (Black-throated Brilliant).

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 Black-throated Brilliant is an elegant Andean species, recognized for its lustrous emerald-green plumage, contrasting velvety black throat, and violet reflections across the crown and breast. In Gould’s hand-colored lithograph, the bird is shown perched gracefully amid tropical flowers, its form rendered with meticulous precision and enhanced by metallic pigments that replicate the iridescent quality of its feathers. The refined composition captures both the bird’s stately presence and the radiant interplay of color that defines the Brilliants as one of the most resplendent groups within the hummingbird family.

John Gould’s Monograph of the Trochilidae remains one of the most celebrated works in the history of ornithological illustration. Spanning nearly four decades, the series united Gould’s scientific acumen with the artistry of Henry Constantine Richter and William Hart. The Black-throated Brilliant plate exemplifies their shared mastery—melding naturalistic detail with painterly elegance to immortalize one of the most dazzling jewels of the South American highlands.