Comte de Buffon - Set of 2: Curassow and Pheasant - Engravings (c. 1775)
"Le Hocco Mitu" and "Le Faisan" are two copperplate engravings from Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, published in Paris by the Imprimerie Royale around 1775. The plates show the South American razor-billed curassow with its prominent crest beside a stone pedestal and a pheasant standing alert before an outdoor aviary. They were engraved by French printmakers after drawings by Jacques de Seve.
Buffon's Histoire Naturelle, Generale et Particuliere, issued in Paris from 1749, was the most influential natural history of the Enlightenment, and its plates, largely after drawings by Jacques de Seve, set a new standard for accurate and lively animal portraiture. The pairing contrasts an exotic game bird of the Amazon forests with the pheasant, the favourite game bird of European estates.
Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788) was a French naturalist, mathematician and intendant of the Jardin du Roi in Paris, and the author of the 36-volume Histoire Naturelle.
Artist or Maker: Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
Dimensions: Approximately 16 cm x 9 cm (6.3 in x 3.5 in) (each).
Medium: Engraving
Date: c. 1775
SKU: BUFFON-INV
Condition
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.
"Le Hocco Mitu" and "Le Faisan" are two copperplate engravings from Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, published in Paris by the Imprimerie Royale around 1775. The plates show the South American razor-billed curassow with its prominent crest beside a stone pedestal and a pheasant standing alert before an outdoor aviary. They were engraved by French printmakers after drawings by Jacques de Seve.
Buffon's Histoire Naturelle, Generale et Particuliere, issued in Paris from 1749, was the most influential natural history of the Enlightenment, and its plates, largely after drawings by Jacques de Seve, set a new standard for accurate and lively animal portraiture. The pairing contrasts an exotic game bird of the Amazon forests with the pheasant, the favourite game bird of European estates.
Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788) was a French naturalist, mathematician and intendant of the Jardin du Roi in Paris, and the author of the 36-volume Histoire Naturelle.
Artist or Maker: Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
Dimensions: Approximately 16 cm x 9 cm (6.3 in x 3.5 in) (each).
Medium: Engraving
Date: c. 1775
SKU: BUFFON-INV
Condition
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.
