1833 Pair Big Cat Prints | Antique Hand-Colored Tiger & Jaguar, Buffon Lejeune For Sale

AJ | GILDED Tiger & Jaguar Hand-Colored Lithographs Oeuvres complètes de Buffon · Plates 207 & 213 Published in Brussels in 1833, these hand-colored big-cat lithographs come from Théodore Lejeune’s Oeuvres complètes de Buffon. Lejeune condensed decades of the great Comte de Buffon’s sprawling natural-history project into a new 20-volume edition. Each illustration is a window into the daunting task early naturalists faced before genetics: deciding whether differences between animals meant a separate species or simply variation within one. Here, Buffon had to decide whether the “Royal Tiger” and “Jaguar of New Spain” were distinct species or simply variants of the more familiar tiger and jaguar. He ultimately regarded the Royal Tiger as the same species, while the differences seen in the New Spain jaguar were simply individual variation. Buffon’s ideas about species and variation became part of the long scientific conversation that helped shape modern biology. These plates capture that science while it was still being worked out. Catalog Details Date 1833 Publication Oeuvres complètes de Buffon, suivies de ses continuateurs Publisher Théodore Lejeune, Brussels Lithographer Burggraaff, Brussels Subjects Le Tigre & Le Tigre royal, mâle · Le Jaguar & Jaguar de la Nouvelle Espagne Medium Hand-colored lithographs on paper Dimensions Approximately 9.1 × 5.9 in each Condition Good antique condition with visible age toning. Strong hand color and crisp imagery remain, and both prints present beautifully together. Archival Presentation These artworks are sold loose, unmatted, and unframed. Custom archival matting and framing may be arranged for an additional charge. Please message before purchase for available sizes, colors, and pricing. Sourcing & Preservation This is an original antique work from the published source, not a modern reproduction. AJ | Gilded is preservation-first and does not dismantle intact books. Works on paper are sourced as already-separated material, from incomplete or damaged volumes, or from prior collections. AJ | GILDED THOUGHTFULLY CURATED | TIMELESS AESTHETIC | ARCHIVAL TECHNIQUE