| Method | Copper engraving with hand colouring |
| Artist | Christian Friedrich Fritzsch after Jacques de Seve |
| Published | [Paris, De L'Imprimerie Royale, 1771] |
| Dimensions | Image 185 x 145 mm, Plate 205 x 175 mm, Sheet 257 x 200 mm |
| Notes |
A finely coloured plate from the eighth volume of Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux, Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon's major work, Histoire Naturelle Generale et Particuliere Avec la Description du Cabinet du Roi. Histoire Naturelle was published in 36 volumes between 1749 and 1789 with further volumes issued after the death of the author. One of the most widely read authors of his time, Buffon is credited with being the first to discuss many evolutionary problems. Despite this he was not himself an evolutionist, considering and subsequently rejecting the possibility of humans and apes having a common ancestor. Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788) was a French naturalist, mathematician, cosmologist, and encyclopédiste. He is mostly known for his work on natural history 'Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière' which he started in 1749 and was finished by his colleagues in 1804, after Buffon's death. Jacques de Sève (Active 1742 –1788) was a French artist and illustrator. De Sève was commissioned by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon to provide the illustrations for Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière (1749-1778, in 36 volumes) and then Buffon's Recueil de Vingtquatre Plantes et Fleurs (1772). He also illustrated work by Duhamel du Monceau, Claude Perrault and parts of Encyclopédie Méthodique. Condition: Strong impression with minor overall time toning. |
| Framing | mounted |
| Price | £80.00 |
| Stock ID | 47600 |