Date of Printing: 1801 • Medium: Copperplate Engraving (hand colored) • Subject Category: Natural History - Birds • Signed: Unsigned • Period Created: Romantic (1800 - 1899) • Plate Size HxWxD cm: 30.5 x 24 • Leaf Paper Size HxW cm: 35 x 26 • Style: FOLIO Original Vintage • Print on Verso: Blank on verso • Condition: Excellent, with minor toning at edges • Edition Type: 1st Edition - Limited • Paper Type: Woven • Framed: Print only
We are pleased to offer a print from the extremely rare "Oiseaux Dorés", published in 1800-1802 with 190 colour-printed engraved plates by Audebert, many heightened with albumen, printed by Langlois.
Napoleon initiated a series of magnificent natural history publications, that would compete with those undertaken to the order of Louis XIV, such as the present work together with Levaillant's superb ornithological monographs as well as the works by Redouté. The work was issued in 32 parts over 26 months and is divided into 10 sections or sub-sections, the general title being taken from the half-titles. The whole process used in the printing of the plates was invented by Audebert. The printing in oil colours was by Langlois, that was one of the most celebrated colour-printers of France (he also did most of Levaillant's plates).
Audebert engraved the plates from his own designs, he received help with colouring from Louis Bouquet. Audebert died before he was able to complete the work, Vieillot continued the work based on Audebert's drawings and notes.
'[The] colours of the birds and their handsome appearance have evidently been the cause of their selection for inclusion in the book. The plates with the bird portraits are in beautiful colours; in this respect they are among the best colour prints found in ornithology' (Anker).
Each print is folio in size, and is accompanied by the original/copy of the descriptive text. Slight toning along right and top margins. Numbered Copper Engraving. Spectacular original hand coloring partly hightened with albumen. Names in French.
"Oiseaux Dorés ou à Reflets Metalliques Histoire Naturelle et Générale des Colibris, Oiseaux-Mouches, Jacamars et des Oiseaux de Paradis" By Jean Baptiste Audebert
Jean Baptiste Audebert (1759 - 1800)
Born at Rochefort in 1759, Audebert studied miniature-painting and drawing in Paris. Was trained as entomologist by G.A. Olivier and his interest had turned to natural history after a meeting in 1789 with Gigot-d'Orex, a rich amateur collector of specimens. The first fruit of his studies was the "Histoire Naturelle des Singes" published in 10 parts, the first two in February and July 1798, the remainder between January and October 1799. Audebert's monograph, which divided the monkeys into six families, was the more impressive for employing a colour-printing process in which all the colours were printed from one plate and oil paint was substituted for gouache. In developing this new technique, his experience as a distinguished miniature painter was probably important. Audebert died in Paris at the young age of 41, leaving complete materials for another work, Histoire des colibris, oiseaux-mouches, jacamars et Oiseaux de Paradis, which assured his reputation as an artist-naturalist.