Joseph (1820) Wolf Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Joseph (1820) Wolf Art Value Price Guide

Sep. 26, 2024
Joseph Wolf (1820 - 1899) Rabbits signed, pencil drawing, 26.5cm x 44cm
Est: £30 - £40
Joseph Wolf (1820 - 1899) Rabbits signed, pencil drawing, 26.5cm x 44cm
Bamfords Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd
Sep. 21, 2024
JOSEPH WOLF OIL ON CANVAS, AUTUMN - WOUNDED WOODCOCK
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
WOLF, Joseph (1820-1899). Autumn - Wounded Woodcock. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated 1850. 23" x 19 1/2" visible, 29" x 25" framed. Provenance: Property from the Collection of the Saint Louis Zoo Association, St. Louis, Missouri.
Arader Galleries
Sep. 19, 2024
Joseph Wolf
Est: $800 - $1,200
Joseph Wolf (German, 1820-1899) TERRIERS ON THE HUNT oil on canvas, framed, signed H18" W24" Provenance: Private collection
Charlton Hall
Aug. 14, 2024
Joseph Wolf, Germany (1820-1899), Steller's Sea Eagle, 1866-1869, color lithograph on cream wove paper, 22"H x 17"W (sight), 29 1/4"H x 23 1/2"W (mat)
Est: $300 - $400
Joseph Wolf Germany, (1820-1899) Steller's Sea Eagle, 1866-1869 color lithograph on cream wove paper Folio from Daliel Giraud Elliot's "The New and Heretofore Unfigured Species of the Birds of North America" published by Bowen & Co., Philadelphia.
Ripley Auctions
Nov. 22, 2023
Joseph Wolf & Henry Constantine Richter, - Cygnus Ferus (Whooper Swan); from J…
Est: £150 - £200
Joseph Wolf & Henry Constantine Richter, German 1820-1899 and British 1821-1901- Cygnus Ferus (Whooper Swan); from John Gould's 'Birds of Great Britain', 1862-1873; hand-coloured lithograph, 33.4 x 51 cm. Provenance: with Henry Sotheran Ltd, London. Anon. sale, Bonhams, Oxford, 11 November 2009, lot 114 (part). Private Collection, UK. Note: Gould worked primarily as a taxidermist, and possessed an in-depth knowledge of ornithology, culminating in the 'Birds of Great Britain', his most successful publication. He also assisted Charles Darwin (1809-1882) in his identification of the specimens he collected in his 1836 'Beagle' voyage to the Galapagos islands, concluding that the birds collected were not different species, but varieties of the same species, a discovery which greatly informed Darwin's theory of natural selection.
Roseberys
Oct. 20, 2023
JOSEPH WOLF (BRITISH, 1820-1899) Peregrine Falcon pencil and watercolor hei
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
JOSEPH WOLF (BRITISH, 1820-1899) Peregrine Falcon pencil and watercolor heightened with white and with scratching out on paper 21 7/8 x 14 7/8 in. (55.6 x 38 cm.)
Christie's
Oct. 18, 2023
After Joseph Wolf (Prussian/British, 1820-1899)
Est: $500 - $700
After Joseph Wolf (Prussian/British, 1820-1899), "Felis Bengalensis", 1883, hand-colored lithograph, from A Monograph of the Felidae or Family of the Cats, printed by M. & H. Hanhart, London, published by Daniel Giraud Elliot (1835-1915), London, with corresponding text, sheet 23 5/8 in. x 18 3/4 in., unframed. Condition: Overall fair condition.
Neal Auction Company
Aug. 24, 2023
JOSEPH WOLF (1820-1899), ATHLE
Est: -
Joseph Wolf (1820-1899), athletic horse with galloping saddle, light brown patinated bronze on oval terrain plinth, signed on the front, rubbed due to age, l. 26 cm
Historia Auctionata
Jul. 13, 2023
JOSEPH WOLF (GERMAN, 1820-1899) A Gyrfalcon, hooded pencil and watercolour,
Est: £4,000 - £6,000
JOSEPH WOLF (GERMAN, 1820-1899) A Gyrfalcon, hooded pencil and watercolour, heightened with bodycolour on buff paper 10 3/4 x 7 in. (27.4 x 17.8 cm.)
Christie's
Jun. 26, 2023
Attributed to Joseph Wolf (1820-1899), Watercolour…
Est: £80 - £120
Attributed to Joseph Wolf (1820-1899), Watercolour sketch, A study of a bird on a branch, possibly a falcon. Unsigned. Approx. 13 1/2" x 7" Provenance - By descent from the family of Josiah Wood Whymper, engraver to Joseph Wolf.
Claydon Auctioneers
Jun. 24, 2023
Joseph Wolf original chalk drawing of a Ptarmigan In Their Highland Retreat
Est: $25,000 - $45,000
WOLF, Joseph (1820-1899). Ptarmigan In Their Highland Retreat. Black chalk on paper laid onto canvas. 59 1/2" x 46 5/8" visible, 66 1/4" x 52 1/2" framed. A dramatic large-scale monochromatic chalk drawing of a male and female ptarmigan and their brood perched on a rocky crag in the Scottish Highlands. This detailed drawing was likely executed as preparatory work for a series of large-scale paintings for a patron. In scale, subject, and materiality, two similar compositions were sold at Christie's auction house on April 6, 2009. While Ptarmigan In Their Highland Retreat is not signed, the companion works were signed: "Cartoon sketch by/J. Wolf left unfinished/and finished by C. Whymper." Wolf worked and actively exhibited drawings and watercolors; he also painted in oil. Working first in charcoal to finesse his vision and then either transfer the imagery to the canvas in oil or, if meant for publication, a draughtsman would move the image to a lithograph stone for printing. Wolf generally shot and drew each specimen based on Palmer’s account of the artist. Writing, “[John] Gould skinned the specimens that Wolf shot and drew.” (p. 78) After preparing the specimen, he would consider his subject on paper before the canvas. Palmer wrote, “In the oil subject, part of the single-primed canvas is still bare, and the painting is in an early stage. The life and soul of the picture is yet to come, but there is nothing tentative about the preliminary work. Before he put charcoal to paper, the preconception in the artist’s mind was definite. ‘It must be here, you know,” says Wolf, touching his forehead, ‘before it comes out there’ — holding up his fingers.” (p. 234-235) Visitors to Wolf’s studio would often find him, “pliers and wires in hand, sitting before a pile of little bones and a charcoal sketch... carefully setting up a complete skeleton of the bird in the chosen action.” (p. 220) In this composition, the artist portrays a brood of ptarmigan he spotted on a rocky crag. The artist celebrates this bird from several angles. At the apex, a male and female silhouetted against an atmospheric sunlit sky. Below them, their young virtually hidden by their feathery camouflage in a crypsis attempt at avoiding detection. Animal camouflage seems to repeat in several Wolf’s subjects, a sensibility which his biographer considered, writing, “The episode occurs so often that it is evident he took an especial interest in the marvellous power of concealment — in the contrast between the huge irresistible robber and the small quarry which cheat the hungry eye. Wolf says: — ‘It was a favourite subject. I loved the solitude of the grand surroundings.’” The ptarmigan has seasonal camouflaging, meaning its feathers molt from white during winter, though keeping a black tail brown flecked with grey in spring and summer. Wolf described seeing this natural phenomenon with a group of Willow Grouse he spotted, described by his biographer, “those little incidents occurred that have always delighted Wolf. He was out one day, sketching by himself, when he disturbed a brood of Willow Ptarmigan; one of which, with a rapid grab, he succeeded in catching. Meanwhile all the others had suddenly become utterly invisible. When the captive saw its mother it began to call to her, and se came close up with her beak open, but then retired. Wishing to discover how the young had hidden themselves, Wolf liberated the one he held, which instantly dived under the Reindeer moss. He then retreated, and watched with his glasses. As the old bird called, he saw the young ones emerge one by one from their concealment, until all were once more visible.” (p.142) References: Alfred Palmer The Life of Joseph Wolf, Animal Painter. 1895.
Arader Galleries
May. 25, 2023
Wolf, Joseph
Est: €120 - €180
(1820 Mörz in Münstermaifeld - London 1899), zugeschrieben. Flusslandschaft mit Brücke. Aquarell auf Papier. Ca. 24 x 37 cm. Unten rechts sowie links mit Bleistift sign. "Jo. Wolf". Auf Karton und unter Passep. mont. Leichte Gebrauchssp. - ╔Dabei: Dems. zugeschrieben. Portrait.╗ Bleistiftzeichnung, 1858. Ca. 17 x 13 cm. Auf Trägerpapier und unter Passep. mont. Dort zugeschrieben. - Leicht stockfl. R
Kiefer Buch- und Kunstauktionen
Mar. 31, 2023
JOSEPH WOLF (1820-1899), ATHLETIC HORSE WITH GALLOPING SADDLE, LIGHT BROWN PATINATED BRONZE ON
Est: -
Joseph Wolf (1820-1899), athletic horse with galloping saddle, light brown patinated bronze on oval terrain plinth, signed on the front, rubbed due to age, l. 26 cm Joseph Wolf (1820-1899), athletisches Pferd mit Galopprennsattel, hellbraun patinierte Bronze auf ovaler Terrainplinthe, darin schauseitig sign., altersbed. ber., L. 26 cm
Historia Auctionata
Feb. 18, 2023
Wolf, Joseph
Est: €160 - €240
(1820 Mörz in Münstermaifeld - London 1899), zugeschrieben. Flusslandschaft mit Brücke. Aquarell auf Papier. Ca. 24 x 37 cm. Unten rechts sowie links mit Bleistift sign. "Jo. Wolf". Auf Karton und unter Passep. mont. Leichte Gebrauchssp. - ╔Dabei: Dems. zugeschrieben. Portrait.╗ Bleistiftzeichnung, 1858. Ca. 17 x 13 cm. Auf Trägerpapier und unter Passep. mont. Dort zugeschrieben. - Leicht stockfl. R
Kiefer Buch- und Kunstauktionen
Feb. 08, 2023
Joseph Wolf (German, 1820-1899) Study of flamingos
Est: £700 - £900
Joseph Wolf (German, 1820-1899) Study of flamingos signed 'J Wolf' (lower right) watercolour 11.8 x 8.3cm (4 5/8 x 3 1/4in).
Bonhams
Dec. 17, 2022
Wolf, Joseph
Est: €200 - €300
(1820 Mörz in Münstermaifeld - London 1899), zugeschrieben. Flusslandschaft mit Brücke. Aquarell auf Papier. Ca. 24 x 37 cm. Unten rechts sowie links mit Bleistift sign. "Jo. Wolf". Auf Karton und unter Passep. mont. Leichte Gebrauchssp. - ╔Dabei: Dems. zugeschrieben. Portrait.╗ Bleistiftzeichnung, 1858. Ca. 17 x 13 cm. Auf Trägerpapier und unter Passep. mont. Dort zugeschrieben. - Leicht stockfl. R
Kiefer Buch- und Kunstauktionen
Jul. 13, 2022
A Bear with Honeycomb JOSEPH WOLF (1820-1899) 315 x 450 x 170mm
Est: £5,000 - £8,000
A Bear with Honeycomb JOSEPH WOLF (1820-1899) 315 x 450 x 170mm
Christie's
Jul. 13, 2022
JOSEPH WOLF (1820-1899) 14 original watercolours for The Poets of the Wood
Est: £20,000 - £30,000
JOSEPH WOLF (1820-1899) 14 original watercolours for The Poets of the Wood and Feathered...
Christie's
Jul. 09, 2022
Wolf, Joseph
Est: €240 - €360
(1820 Mörz in Münstermaifeld - London 1899), zugeschrieben. Flusslandschaft mit Brücke. Aquarell auf Papier. Ca. 24 x 37 cm. Unten rechts sowie links mit Bleistift sign. "Jo. Wolf". Auf Karton und unter Passep. mont. Leichte Gebrauchssp. - ╔Dabei: Dems. zugeschrieben. Portrait.╗ Bleistiftzeichnung, 1858. Ca. 17 x 13 cm. Auf Trägerpapier und unter Passep. mont. Dort zugeschrieben. - Leicht stockfl. R
Kiefer Buch- und Kunstauktionen
Dec. 14, 2021
Joseph Wolf (German 1820-1899), The big bull bison
Est: £1,000 - £2,000
Joseph Wolf (German 1820-1899)The big bull bisonOil on canvas Signed with initials and indistinctly dated (lower right)57 x 77cm (22¼ x 30¼ in.)Provenance:Sale, Christie's, Viscount Allanbrooke, 11 June 1993, lot 222Literature:O.L. Stephen (ed.), Sir Victor Brooke-Memoirs of his Life, 1894 (illustrated opp. p. 129)
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Jul. 29, 2021
JOSEPH WOLF (1820 - 1899): "BUTEO VULGARIS"
Est: $100 - $200
color lithograph; H.C. Richter lithographer; printed by Walter & Cohn; 20 1/4 x 13 1/2 inches sight; 28 3/4 x 21 1/4 inches frame
Abell Auction
Jun. 16, 2021
JOSEPH WOLF (GERMAN 1820-1899), THE BIG BULL BISON
Est: £2,500 - £3,500
JOSEPH WOLF (GERMAN 1820-1899)THE BIG BULL BISON Oil on canvas Signed with initials and indistinctly dated (lower right)57 x 77cm (22¼ x 30¼ in.)Provenance:Sale, Christie's, Viscount Allanbrooke, 11 June 1993, lot 222Literature:O.L. Stephen (ed.), Sir Victor Brooke-Memoirs of his Life, 1894 (illustrated opp. p. 129)
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Oct. 06, 2020
Joseph Wolf (German, 1820-1899)
Est: £800 - £1,200
Joseph Wolf (German, 1820-1899) Joseph Wolf (German, 1820-1899) Bullfinch signed and dated 1878 l.r., inscribed on a label verso 'This little picture is the original study which I did from the Queens Bullfinch at Buckingham Palace in May 1878, for a picture I was then painting for H.R.H. the Princess Louise, to be presented to her majesty on Her Birthday', watercolour 25 x 18cm
Sworders
Sep. 09, 2020
* Wolf, (Joseph, 1820-1899 & Smit, Joseph 1836-1929). Epimachus Ellioti,
Est: £200 - £300
* Wolf, (Joseph, 1820-1899 & Smit, Joseph 1836-1929). Epimachus Ellioti, from A Monograph of the Paradiseidae or Birds of Paradise, by Daniel Elliot Giraud 1873, hand-coloured lithograph on pale cream wove paper, printed by M. & N. Hanhart, pale mount stain to outer blank margins, closed tears repaired to centre of left margin, centre of top margin, and shorter closed tear to the blank area near centre of right margin, all without loss, laid down on modern card, sheet size 54.5 x 45.5 cm (21.5 x 18 ins), framed and perspex glazed, together with another hand-coloured lithograph from Giraud's A Monograph of the Paradiseidae or Birds of Paradise, 1873, by Joseph Wolf and Joseph Smit, with some damage, particularly to lower edge of the image, including some damp staining and one or two closed tears, with printed title no longer visible, laid down on modern card, 54 x 44 cm (21.25 x 17.25 ins), framed and perspex glazed Qty: (2)
Dominic Winter Auctions
May. 30, 2020
Joseph WOLF (1820-1899)
Est: €100 - €150
Joseph WOLF (1820-1899) Merlins (oiseaux) Aquarelle sur papier Titré sur une étiquette au dos 9 x 12 cm
Carvajal SVV
May. 11, 2020
Joseph Wolf; German 1820-1899; The Greater Kudu and Zebra
Est: R40,000 - R60,000
signed and dated 1882; inscribed with the artist's name and title on a Tryon Gallery label; further inscribed 'A Kudu and two Zebra at a watering hole' on a label alongside a Spink Gallery label adhered to the reverse; watercolour heightened with bodycolour on paper; 48 by 60,5cm
Strauss & Co
Mar. 11, 2020
Joseph Wolf (German, 1820-1899)
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
A couple of bullfinches on woodbine signed and dated "Wolf 1878" lower right watercolour 25 x 18cm
Cheffins
Dec. 01, 2019
19thC Hand Colored Lithograph, Pucrasia Duvauceli
Est: $400 - $600
19th century hand-colored lithograph, 'Pucrasia Duvauceli' by Joseph Wolf (1820-1889) and Joseph Smit (1820-1889), from 'Family of the Pheasants' by D.G. Elliot, published 1872, 19" x 23 3/4" (sight), framed 26 1/2" x 32". Provenance: From a North Andover, Massachusetts estate.
Kaminski Auctions
Nov. 12, 2019
Joseph Wolf (German, 1820-1899) Terrier playing with lions
Est: £800 - £1,200
Joseph Wolf (German, 1820-1899) Terrier playing with lions signed 'J.W' (lower right) watercolour heightened with white 14 x 23.5cm (5 1/2 x 9 1/4in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Sep. 28, 2019
Wolf Zoological Sketches
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
WOLF, Joseph (1820-1899). Zoological Sketches by Joseph Wolf. Made for the Zoological Society of London, from animals in their vivarium, in the Regent's Park. Explanatory text by D.W. Mitchell and Philip Lutley Sclater. London: Henry Graves & Company, 1861-1867. 2 volumes. Folio (20 x 13 4/8 inches). Letterpress title-pages, list of subscribers. Additional mounted hand-coloured lithographic title-pages printed by Vincent Brooks, and 100 fine hand-coloured lithographic plates, drawn on stone by Joseph Smit after the drawings of Joseph Wolf, each plate cut to the edge of the image and mounted on thin card in imitation of a watercolour, with the caption printed in gilt lettering beneath, as issued. Contemporary half maroon morocco, purple cloth, gilt, all edges gilt (extremities scuffed, edges of cloth lifting, unevenly faded). "WITHOUT EXCEPTION, THE BEST ALL-ROUND ANIMAL PAINTER THAT EVER LIVED" (Sir Edwin Landseer) First edition, with the revised and final text by Philip Lutley Sclater. The plates were originally issued monthly with an accompanying temporary text for parts I-VII written by David William Mitchell, secretary to the society. On Mitchell's death in 1859, Sclater completed the work, selecting the subjects and writing both the initial letterpress and then the final published text, as here, which was issued with the thirteenth and final part. The work was commissioned by the Council of the Zoological Society in 1852, to provide "an accurate artistic record of the living form and expression of the many rare species of animals which exist from time to time in the menagerie". The council chose Wolf, already well-known for his work for the ornithologist Rüpell and Gould's "Birds of Great Britain". Originally from Prussia, Wolf's paintings of wild animals are renowned for their spectacular use of colour: pinks, blues, and greens; for the astonishing realism of feet, fur, and feather texture; and for their detailed backgrounds, which often include smaller but still perfectly painted and fully animated. As a young man he was apprenticed to Gebrüder Becker, lithographers at Koblenz, where he was employed as designer, principally of trade circulars. A chance meeting with Eduard Rüppell, the ornithologist and explorer, "gave him an introduction to the director of the grand ducal natural history museum at Darmstadt, Johann Kaup. Wolf obtained employment in Darmstadt as a lithographer with the publisher Ernst Kern, and in his free time worked for Rüppell, executing drawings for Rüppell's "Systematische Uebersicht der Vögel Nord-Ost-Afrikas" (1845). He was subsequently given illustrative work for Hermann Schlegel and H. Wulverhorst's "Traité de fauconnerie" (1844), but an attack of ague forced his return to Darmstadt, where he attended the art school, going in 1847 to study at the Antwerp Academy. In February 1848, as revolution spread across the continent, Wolf went to London at the invitation of David William Mitchell, secretary of the Zoological Society of London. There he assisted Mitchell with a British Museum-based project, illustrating Robert Gray's "Genera of Birds" (1844-9); afterwards he assisted John Gould with illustrations for "Birds of Great Britain" (1862-73)... Two books may be considered especially his, though he did not write the text: "Zoological Sketches" [as here], issued in two series (1861 and 1867), and "Life and Habits of Wild Animals", with letterpress by D. G. Elliot (1874); the latter was reissued in 1882 as "Wild Animals and Birds: their Haunts and Habits" (Clemency Thorne Fisher for DNB).Anker 539; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.158; Nissen IVB 1012; BM(NH) V,p.2349; Wood p.633. Comparable: Christies, 2019 - 15,000 GBP.
Arader Galleries
Aug. 02, 2019
Gould, Richter, and Wolf Avian Lithographs, Plus, Lot of Four
Est: $100 - $300
Gould, Richter, and Wolf Avian Lithographs, Plus, Lot of Four Three lithographs, including: British, ca. 1862-1873. Joseph Wolf (German, 1820-1899) and Henry Constantine Richter (English, 1821-1902). Titled l.c. LAGOPUS MUTUS, Winter Plumage; inscribed J. Wolf and H.C. Richter, del et lith l.l., and Walter & Cohn, Imp. l.r., framed; 13.75 x 20.75 in. (sight), 15.5 x 22.25 in. (frame); British, late 19th century. John Gould (English, 1804-1881) and Henry Constantine Richter (English, 1821-1902). Titled l.c. SYLOCHELIDON STRENCUS: Gould; inscribed J. Gould and H.C. Richter, del et lith l.l.; and inscribed Hullmandel & Walton Imp. l.r., matted and unframed; 14.25 x 20.5 in. (sight), 19 x 25 in. (mat); British, ca. 1873. John Gould (English, 1804-1881). Titled l.c. MERGUS CUCULLATUS, Linn.; inscribed Hooded Merganser l.r., framed; 13.25 x 19.75 in. (sight), 26.75 x 37.75 in. (frame); PLUS, one lithograph, late 19th-early 20th century, titled l.c. Kameel mit zwei Höckern.; inscribed TAF. 65. u.r., framed; 8.5 x 11.5 in. (sight), 13.25 x 16.25 in. (frame).
Cowan's Auctions
Jun. 04, 2019
Joseph Wolf (1820-1899) Study for 'A row in the jungle': A tiger on the prowl pencil and watercolour heightened with bodycolour on buff paper 27 ¼ x 21 in. (69.3 x 53.3 cm.)
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
Joseph Wolf (1820-1899) Study for 'A row in the jungle': A tiger on the prowl signed 'J. Wolf' (lower right) pencil and watercolour heightened with bodycolour on buff paper 27 ¼ x 21 in. (69.3 x 53.3 cm.)
Christie's
Apr. 09, 2019
Joseph Wolf (British, 1820-1899), (2) zoological sketches, lithographs, "The Black-Necked Swan" and "The Rufous-Tailed Pheasant", ha...
Est: $100 - $200
Joseph Wolf (British, 1820-1899), (2) zoological sketches, lithographs, "The Black-Necked Swan" and "The Rufous-Tailed Pheasant", hand colored lithographs, each approx. 9-1/2" x 13-1/2" sheet on original captioned mountings, framed size 22-1/2" x 25-1/4", good condition, wear to frames
William Bunch Auctions & Appraisals
Mar. 07, 2019
* Wolf (Joseph, 1820-1899). Sketches of Herons,
Est: £150 - £200
pencil on paper, unsigned, some light overall toning, title and artist's name supplied in ink to mount, old gilt frame, glazed, with printed label of S. Coombes, 175 Strand W.C.2 to verso, and also inscribed in white chalk 16/9/81, 123, 1 - Quantity (1)
Dominic Winter Auctions
Jan. 31, 2019
WOLF, JOSEPH [1820-1899] TWO ORIGINAL SKETCHES
Est: £1,000 - £1,500
WOLF, JOSEPH [1820-1899] TWO ORIGINAL SKETCHES ''Maternal Courage'', black chalk on grey paper, depicting a chamois and kid being attacked by a lammergeier, subsequently printed as plate xiv in The Life and Habits of Wild Animals, 21 x 15cm, framed and glazed; ''The Avalanche'', black chalk on toned paper, depicting red deer stags and a hind caught in the snow, subsequently printed as plate xx in The Life and Habits of Wild Animals, 20 x 14.5cm, framed and glazed; Elliot, Daniel Giraud The Life and Habits of Wild Animals, illustrated by designs by Joseph Wolf. London: Alexander Macmillan & Co., 1874. Folio, original green cloth gilt neatly rebacked retaining original cloth and spine, endpapers renewed (3)
Lyon & Turnbull
Dec. 08, 2018
J. Wolf watercolor of two Elks
Est: $12,000 - $20,000
Wolf, Joseph (1820-1899). Two Elk Watercolor on paper Signed and dated: "J Wolf Jan 29 1876" 13" x 9 1/2" sheet, 23 x 19 1/4" framed Sir Edwin Landseer described Joseph Wolf as ...without exception the best all-round animal painter who ever lived. Born and educated in Prussia, Wolf left home at the age of 16 and apprenticed himself to the lithographic firm of Gebruder Becker in Coblenz, where he first met his future patron Hermann Schlegel, then the assistant keeper at the museum in Leyden and a prolific author of ornithological works. After brief spells in Frankfurt and Darmstadt, Wolf went to Holland and settled in Leyden in 1840. After developing contact with John Gould, Wolf established himself in London in 1848, where he exhibited at the Royal Academy, met Edwin Landseer and other animal artists, and won the patronage of discerning collectors like the Duke of Argyll and Lord Derby. He quickly became the foremost animal illustrator in Britain. Wolf had a long and productive relationship with Gould, contributing plates to The Birds of Asia and The Birds of Great Britain, and Gould became a frequent visitor to Wolfs studio. The rapidity of the growth of his reputation was due, according to his biographer A.H. Palmer, to his power of revivifying a dried skin and not merely revivifying, but showing the most characteristic and beautiful attitude and expression of the living bird or animal. However, Wolf did not wish to be categorized as a scientific illustrator, preferring to create complete and naturalistic compositions which conveyed a sense of drama and mystery. Rather than show his subjects isolated from their environment, he integrated them into a natural setting and portrayed them involved in dramatic action. This combination of animation and beauty characterizes Wolfs watercolors. In 1852, the British Zoological Society commissioned Wolf to complete several watercolors for its Zoological Sketches published in parts between 1856 and 1867. P.L. Sclater, the secretary of the society, noted in the publications preface, the Council was fortunate enough to secure the services of Mr Joseph Wolf, who may be fairly said to stand alone in intimate knowledge of the habits and forms of Mammals and Birds. By this stage in his career, Wolfs works were in considerable demand both in their own right and as illustrations to books and journals. From 1859 to 1869 he was the regular artist for Ibis, the journal of the Zoological Society, and his work was also reproduced in the Illustrated London News, Once a Week, The Leisure Hour, The Sunday at Home, and The Graphic. Unfortunately, during the 1870s, Wolf was increasingly hindered by the onset of chronic rheumatism, which gradually curtailed his work, but he lived on into his eightieth year and died in London surrounded by his pet birds and held in high popular esteem. More than three-quarters of a century later his plates are regarded as among the finest productions of the great period of the illustrated book, while his oil paintings, watercolors and drawings are prized by museums and collectors alike.
Arader Galleries
Nov. 14, 2018
ORNITHOLOGY -- ELLIOT -- WOLF, Joseph (1820-1899).
Est: -
ORNITHOLOGY -- ELLIOT -- WOLF, Joseph (1820-1899). (Polyplectron Germaini/Germain's Peacock Pheasant (depicted w. 2 chicks). NY, 1870-72). 470 x 617 mm. Cold. lithogr., proof before letters, after Joseph Wolf by J. Smit, printed by P.W.M. Trap, finished by hand. Magnificent plate from D.G. Elliot's 'A Monograph of the Phasianidae or Family of the Pheasants'. Cf. Anker 130; Nissen IVB 295. Estimated Price: € 500
Burgersdijk & Niermans
Oct. 02, 2018
WOLF, JOSEPH [1820-1899] TWO ORIGINAL SKETCHES
Est: £2,000 - £3,000
WOLF, JOSEPH [1820-1899] TWO ORIGINAL SKETCHES 'Maternal Courage', black chalk on grey paper, depicting a chamois and kid being attacked by a lammergeier, subsequently printed as plate xiv in The Life and Habits of Wild Animals, 21 x 15cm, framed and glazed; 'The Avalanche', black chalk on toned paper, depicting red deer stags and a hind caught in the snow, subsequently printed as plate xx in The Life and Habits of Wild Animals, 20 x 14.5cm, framed and glazed; Elliot, Daniel Giraud The Life and Habits of Wild Animals, illustrated by designs by Joseph Wolf. London: Alexander Macmillan & Co., 1874. Folio, original green cloth gilt neatly rebacked retaining original cloth and spine, endpapers renewed (3)
Lyon & Turnbull
Jul. 11, 2018
Joseph Wolf (1820-1899) - Norwegian gyrfalcon
Est: £40,000 - £60,000
Joseph Wolf (1820-1899) Norwegian gyrfalcon oil on canvas 35 ½ x 25 ¼ in. (90.2 x 64.1 cm.)
Christie's
Jul. 11, 2018
Joseph Wolf (1820-1899) - Gyrfalcon and mallard
Est: £20,000 - £30,000
Joseph Wolf (1820-1899) Gyrfalcon and mallard oil on canvas 35 ¾ x 27 ¾ in. (90.8 x 70.5 cm.)
Christie's
May. 23, 2018
Circle of Joseph Wolf (1820-1899) German. 'Eagle and Prey', In a Mountainous Landscape, Oil on Canvas, Arched, 38.5" x 30.25".
Est: £1,500 - £2,000
Circle of Joseph Wolf (1820-1899) German. 'Eagle and Prey', In a Mountainous Landscape, Oil on Canvas, Arched, 38.5" x 30.25".
John Nicholson's Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers
Apr. 21, 2018
(5)'ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON' BIRD LITHOGRAPHS
Est: $80 - $150
(lot of 4) Framed hand-colored lithographs, c. 1863-1895, folio plates from "Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London" by J. Smit (Joseph Smit, Britain, 1836-1929), J.G. Keulemans (John Gerrard Keulemans, Britain, 1842-1912), and J. Wolf (Joseph Wolf, Britain, 1820-1899), including: (1) "Eclectus Riedeli" (Eclectus Parrot); (1) "Nectarinia Johnstoni" (Scarlet-tufted sunbird); (1) "Turacus Donaldsoni" (White-cheeked Turaco); (1) "Chrysotis Bouqueti" (Blue-faced Green Parrot); (1) "Ptilonopus Albocinctus" (Banded Fruit-dove); foxing and discoloration, largest - sight: approx 7.75"h, 5.25"w, overall: approx 16.25"h, 13.25"w, 0.75"d; 7.75lbs **Provenance: From the estate of James Dolan Jr. (1937-2017), Director of Collections at the San Diego Zoo until 2002** Start Price: $50.00
Austin Auction Gallery
Apr. 21, 2018
(6) ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY HAND-COLORED LITHOGRAPHS
Est: $150 - $250
(lot of 6) Hand-colored lithographs, c. 1867-1894, by Joseph Smit (Netherlands, 1836-1929) and Joseph Wolf (Germany, 1820-1899) for the "Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London," including: (1) "Ovis Ophion" (Mouflon), sight: 5.5"h, 8.5"w, overall: 9"h, 11"w, (1) "Saiga Tartarica" (Saiga Antelope), sight: 5.5"h, 7.5"w, overall: 9.25"h, 11.25"w, (1) "Bos Gaurus" (Gaur, Indian Bison), sight: 5.5"h, 8"w, overall: 9"h, 11.5"w, (1) "Dendrolagus Lumholtzi" (Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo), sight: 8.25"h, 5.25"w, overall: 10.75"h, 8.75"w, (1) "Budorcas Taxicolor" (Takin), sight: 8.5"h, 5.5"w, overall: 10.5"h, 8.5"w, (1) "Gazella Loderi," sight: 6.5"h, 4.5"w, overall: 10.5"h, 8.5"w; 7.25lbs total**Provenance: From the estate of James Dolan Jr. (1937-2017), Director of Collections at the San Diego Zoo until 2002** Start Price: $100.00
Austin Auction Gallery
Apr. 21, 2018
(4) 'ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON' LITHOGRAPHS
Est: $150 - $250
(lot of 4) Framed hand-colored lithographs, c. 1860-1895, folio plates from "Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London" by J. Smit (Joseph Smit, 1836-1929) and J. Wolf (Joseph Wolf, 1820-1899), including: (1) "Cariacus Punctulatus" (Mule deer); (1) "Hemitragus Jayakari" (Arabian tahr); (1) "Cryptoprocta Ferox" (Fossa); (1) "Bubalus Pumilus"; foxing and discoloration, largest - sight: approx 8"h, 5.25"w, overall: approx 14.5"h, 11.75"w, 1"d; **Provenance: From the estate of James Dolan Jr. (1937-2017), Director of Collections at the San Diego Zoo until 2002** Start Price: $100.00
Austin Auction Gallery
Apr. 21, 2018
(2) J. GOULD 'BIRDS OF GREAT BRITAIN' LITHOGRAPHS
Est: $400 - $600
(lot of 2) Framed hand-colored lithographs, c. 1862-1873, folio plates from "The Birds of Great Britain," by J. Gould (John Gould, England, 1804-1881), H.C. Richter (Henry Constantine Richter, England, 1821-1902) and and J. Wolf (Joseph Wolf, Germany, 1820-1899), published by Walter, including: (1) "Stercorarius Pomatorhinus" (Pomatorhine Skua), sight: 14"h, 20"w, overall: 23.5"h, 29.5"w, (1) "Stercorarius Longicaudus" (Long-tailed Skua), sight: 13"h, 20"w, overall: 19"h, 26"w; 13lbs total **Provenance: From the estate of James Dolan Jr. (1937-2017), Director of Collections at the San Diego Zoo until 2002** Start Price: $200.00
Austin Auction Gallery
Apr. 13, 2018
AFTER JOSEPH WOLF (1820-1899), framed pair prints,signed & dated 1854 in pencil, birds in central image flanked by gilt foliage. 24 cm x 17 cm.
Est: £20 - £30
AFTER JOSEPH WOLF (1820-1899), framed pair prints,signed & dated 1854 in pencil, birds in central image flanked by gilt foliage. 24 cm x 17 cm.
Hannam's Auctioneers
Jan. 25, 2018
Gould, Wolf, Hart. Larus Islandicus. Great Britain
Est: $200 - $400
Gould, John. British (1804-1881). Wolf, Joseph, German, (1820-1899). Hart, William, British, (1830-1908). Hand-colored lithograph of Larus Islandicus (Iceland Gull), from "The Birds of Great Britain", London 1862-73. Framed, approximately: 30" x 24". Provenance: From a Virginia Collector. Condition: Sight condition very good; some closed tears. Matted, under glass, not examined out of frame.
Quinn's Auction Galleries
May. 24, 2017
Josef Wolf, R.I. (German, 1820-1899) Roe deer
Est: £1,000 - £1,500
Josef Wolf, R.I. (German, 1820-1899) Roe deer pencil and watercolour on grey paper 8 x 10 in. (20.3 x 26 cm.)
Christie's