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Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux De Paradis.
Autore/Artist
C. L. Lemaire // J.G. Prêtre
1836
5.75” x 9”
Description
Hand colored stipple steel engraved plate. Original hand coloring. VERY RARE first edition.
Examine photos closefully.
Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux De Paradis
Jean Gabriel Prêtre (1768-1849) was a Swiss-born painter of natural history subjects. He first worked as an illustrator recording specimens in the Empress Josephine's zoo. He went on to be a member of Napoleonic survey of Egypt, between 1798 and 1801, where his work culminated in numerous plates for the Le Description de l'Egypte.
In collaboration with fellow artist, Nicolas Hüet (1770-1830), with whom he worked at the Natural History Museum in Paris, he also contributed a lot of original artwork from which plates were engraved for Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d'oiseaux pour servir de suite et de complément aux planches enluminées de Buffon, d'après les dessins de MM. Huet et Prêtre, Peintre attachés au Muséum d'histoire naturelle, by Coenraad Jacob Temminck (1778-1858), published between 1820 and 1839.
Description of the work
This Monograph On The Birds Of Paradise was published in parts and benefits from showing the subjects in their natural poses and being based on the author's personal observations of the birds in their natural habitat. Lesson described four new species, three of which he captured in New Guinea. The plates feature exotic and rare first edition Birds of Paradise artistically arranged "d'apres nature". The colors are vivid and fine. The condition of these prints is good, on contemporary creamy paper that is a soft aged white, with no foxing.
