Jean Baptiste Auderbert

African Mandrill Monkey: A Framed 18th C. Hand-colored Engraving by Audebert

1797

Jean Baptiste Audebert (1759-1800) was a French artist and naturalist. He studied painting and drawing in Paris and began his art career as a miniature painter, but soon pivoted to the natural sciences. His first publication, 'Histoire naturelle des singes' (The Natural History of monkeys) was published in 1800, which contained 62-63 folio-sized plates that he drew and engraved. He used a new unique technique for these illustrations that he originated. He died young, shortly after the publication of this work. He was working on other manuscripts, which were published posthumously. The popular 'Relation du Voyage à la Recherche de la Pérouse' (Account of the Voyage in Search of la Perouse) focussed on the mysterious disappearance of the great French explorer Jean François Galaup de La Pérouse and the search for his ship. Two other posthumous publications were 'Histoire des colibris, oiseaux-mouches, jacamars et promerops' (History of hummingbirds, jacamars and promerops) and 'L'Histoire des grimpereaux et des oiseaux de paradis' (The History of Creepers and Birds of Paradise).