Condor or Vulture

Artist or Author: Francois Nicolas Martinet & Georges Louis Leclerc Comte de Buffon

Work: Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux

Date of Publication: 1765-1780

Style: Originally Hand-colored Engraving

Paper Size: ~ 9" by 12 1/2"

Condition: The work is in very good to excellent condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or faint marks or fox marks to be expected with age. Please review the image carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.

Description of the work:

This originally hand-colored engraving is from Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon & Francois-Nicolas Martinet's work entitled Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. It was published in Paris by Imprimerie Royale between 1770 and 1786. It was considered one of the most important and beautiful works on birds of the 18th century.

Each plate from the work features a delicate yellow border, which many believe led to the development of French matting. They are engraved on fine chain-linked, watermarked paper.

Buffon's work became one of the most informative sources as far as the visual appearance of animals, and was highly understandable for a wide audience. Buffon described his work and love for natural history by stating that, "Natural history embraces all the objects the universe presents to us. This prodigious multitude of quadrupeds, birds, fish, insects, plants, minerals, etc., offers to the curiosity of the human mind a vast spectacle, of which the whole is so great that the details are inexhaustible."

The bird engravings are from François-Nicolas Martinet. Martinet (1731-1800) was a prominent ornithological artist of the 1700s. He work closely with Count Georges-Louis Leclerc du Buffon on Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. Martinet also created work for Marmontel, Voltaire, and Philidor.