Parry’s Marmot Squirrel (Spermophilus parryi) by John Woodhouse Audubon, 1845

Spermophilus Parryi, Parry’s Marmot Squirrel. Natural size. (1845) by John Woodhouse Audubon is a quintessential example of 19th‑century natural-history art—scholarly in intent yet wonderfully alive on the page. Audubon presents the animal in full, true-to-life proportions, its rounded body poised against a spare landscape that reads as both habitat and stage. Created amid the era’s fervor for cataloguing North American fauna, the composition balances scientific clarity with painterly sensitivity, inviting close study as much as quiet admiration.

This is a museum-quality fine art print from The Unique Maps Co., produced with archival pigment inks on your choice of acid-free, heavyweight art paper or artist’s cotton canvas. Available in multiple sizes, it can be ordered unframed or expertly framed in gallery profiles, with optional matting. Personalization options include custom captions, date lines, and border treatments, and we are happy to accommodate bespoke sizing to suit your space.

John Woodhouse Audubon (1812–1862), son of the famed John James Audubon, was a gifted observer and draftsman who helped bring the wildlife of North America to an audience of scientists and curious readers alike. His contributions to mid-19th‑century natural-history publishing combined meticulous field observation with the refined techniques of hand-colored lithography, ensuring that each plate served both study and display.

Here the subject is Spermophilus parryi—commonly known in period sources as Parry’s marmot squirrel and widely recognized today as the Arctic ground squirrel. Documented at natural size, the animal’s anatomy, pose, and proportions were designed for accuracy, reflecting the encyclopedic aims of Victorian zoological illustration. Works like this underpinned the classification of species during a time of exploration, when pictures often traveled further and faster than specimens themselves.

Color and craft are quietly elegant. The animal’s orange-russet coat is modeled with fine, feathery strokes, its pale, whitish highlights and warm brown shadows giving a tactile sense of fur and form. Subtle tonal gradients suggest light grazing the back and tail, while the angular rocks and understated groundplane introduce structure and depth against the squirrel’s rounded silhouette. The restrained palette—anchored by orange, white, and earthy browns—reads beautifully in both traditional studies and contemporary interiors, making this an ideal print to anchor a reading nook or nature-themed gallery wall.

Whether you’re a naturalist, a lover of Victorian art, or simply drawn to beautifully rendered wildlife, this print is a timeless choice. It makes a thoughtful gift for birthdays, Christmas, Father’s Day or Mother’s Day, a housewarming, or for someone recently returned from travels to Alaska or the broader North—an enduring celebration of the bond between art and science.

If you're not sure what size to order, or you're looking for a custom order of some kind – a different size, a different colour, a special frame – then please contact me. I usually respond within a few minutes.

You can see an example of my fine art personalisation service in the fifth image. Zoom in and take a look. My personalised artwork is always very well received. Take a look at more examples of personalisation.

You can also choose to age your art print to make it look older. This is popular amongst my customers who want their artwork to look like an older, antique print. You can see an example of ageing in the sixth product image, or go ahead and check out lots of examples of other aged artwork.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this art print.

I can print and frame this beautiful piece of art at sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). If you are looking for a size or framing option that isn't available online, please get in touch.

This artwork is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. My standard frames come in six colours (black, dark brown, dark grey, antique gold, oak and white), and custom framing is available for an additional charge. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.