Set of Eight Hand-Colored Bird Engravings by Francois Nicolas Martinet

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Set of Eight Hand-Colored Bird Engravings by Francois Nicolas Martinet

About the Item

A set of eight framed and matted original, hand-colored bird engravings on paper by French engraver Francois Nicolas Martinet from 1770-1786. Each engraving identifies in French the bird depicted, and is beautifully framed in burled walnut with linen mats and walnut filet. The birds shown are as follows: Poule de Bruyere Tinamou varie, de Cayenne Le Cassique rouge du Bresil Le Cassine, du cap de Bonne-Esperance Coulon-Chand de Cayenne La Caille "Attribution Martine" Pie-Grieche Fachetee de Cayenne Courly a col blanc, de Cayenne From the Comte de Buffon's superb work, Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux, published in Paris from 1770 to 1786, these lovely prints form part of a collection of 1008 fine, original hand-colored copper plate engravings. This work was the most famous & comprehensive ornithological work of the 18th century, for which Francois Nicolas Martinet, the foremost bird artist of his day, provided all the bird illustrations. Great Bird Books says of this book that it is "Certainly the most ambitious & comprehensive bird book, and ranks still as one of the most important of all bird books from the Collectors' point of view." George Louis Leclerc Buffon (1707-1788), of aristocratic French origins, was the preeminent scientist and mathematician of the late 18th century. He directed the Jardin des Plantes botanical garden in Paris, which still exists today. His most outstanding achievement came in the field of natural history with the publication of the monumental Histoire Naturelle, Générale et Particulière (1749-1788) in 36 volumes, for which Martinet created all the bird illustrations which were also published separately in Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. The work was translated into many different languages, becoming a best seller of the day, and strong competition to the publications of such philosophers as Voltaire and Rousseau. Buffon's contributions to modern science are enormous. Charles Darwin wrote in the fourth edition of On the Origin of Species: "the first author who in modern times has treated it [evolution] in a scientific spirit was Buffon." In addition to introducing the concept of evolution to science, he laid the foundations for the development of comparative anatomy and introduced the concept of the earth's existence for much longer than the 6,000 years commonly held then. Francois Nicolas Martinet (1725-1804) was the French court engraver and artist. He illustrated many of the plays and operas by the luminaries of the day such as Voltaire, also drawing and engraved landscapes, portraits of notables and scenes of Versailles. He lived through one of the most tumultuous times in French history, witnessing the reigns of Louis XV, followed by the excesses of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette at Versailles. Towards the end of his life, he saw the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror, followed by the ascent of Napoleon. His most enduring gift to the world is this beautiful work, popular now for almost a quarter of a millennium. The Martinet prints are the highlight of a beautiful modern volume entitled All The World's Birds, published by Rizzoli, showing all the prints with Buffon's descriptive text translated into English, plus a foreword by American ornithologist David Sibley.

Creator:
François Nicolas Martinet (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 21.75 in (55.25 cm)Width: 19.75 in (50.17 cm)Depth: 1.25 in (3.18 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 8
Style:
Louis XVI (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Burl,Linen,Paper,Walnut,Engraved
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
Late 18th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1770
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Miami, FL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU98815720263