Date of Printing: 1733 • Medium: Copperplate Engraving (hand colored) • Subject Category: Natural History - Birds • Signed: Unsigned • Period Created: Enlightenment (1700 - 1799) • Plate Size HxWxD cm: 32 x 20 • Leaf Paper Size HxW cm: 36 x 23 • Style: FOLIO Original Vintage • Print on Verso: Blank on verso • Condition: Excellent, with minor foxing • Edition Type: 1st Edition - Limited • Paper Type: Laid Paper • Framed: Unframed
This first edition, originally hand-colored engraving is from Johann Leonhard Frisch's Vorstellung der Vogel in Teutschland und Beylaugffig auch Einiger Fremden, mit Ihren Eigenschaften Beschrieben…und Nach Iheren Naturlichen Farben. The work was published in 1733 and completed posthumously in 1763. It is considered the first great German bird book.
Very slight foxing, please see photos.
After Johann Leonhard Frisch (1666-1743) had studied theology and philology in Altdorf, Jena, Strasbourg and Nuremberg he travelled through Switzerland, France, Austria, Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands before he settled in Berlin about 1699. He compiled comprehensive collections of insects and birds, reared silkworms and made silk farming. In 1720 he started his work Beschreibung von allerlei Insecten in Deutschland followed by Vorstellung der Vögel in Deutschland ...
This monumental work on German Birds, made and published over a period of thirty years, became a family project. His sons Ferdinand Helfreich (1707-1758) and Philipp Jakob were responsible for drawing and engraving the plates, his youngest son Just Leopold Frisch (1714-1789) succeeded his father in writing the text and later on also in publishing the work. This work is considered to be the first great German color plate bird book and one of the most enjoyable of all bird books.