Bidspirit auction | Cuvier & D'Orbigny - 11

Cuvier & D'Orbigny - 11 Fish or Sea Life Engravings - 10 Prints from Cuvier, description of work: This hand-colored engraving is from Georges Cuvier's Le Regne Animal Distribue d’apres son Organisation or The Animal Kingdom, Distributed According to Its Organization . The prints from this work feature beautiful original hand-coloring, and some of the fish are heightened with silver and gold. The work was published in Paris by Fortin and Masson between 1817-1849. It is the ”first truly complete work in the history of comparative anatomy.” Georges Cuvier was a French naturalist and zoologist and established the sciences of comparative anatomy and paleontology. He is credited with proving that extinction occurred. His name is one of the 72 featured on the Eiffel Tower of French scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. ”[Cuvier's} vast communication network, huge world-wide collections, and extensive ichthyological library, made Paris the center of ichthyology and Cuvier the foremost ichthyologist in the world” (T.W. Pietsch in 'Archives of Nat. Hist, 12, 1') Cuvier’s Animal Kingdom was “the most influential exposition of the typological approach to animal classification, representing the greatest body of zoological facts that had yet been assembled; it served as the standard zoological manual for most of Europe during the first half of the nineteenth century.” (Norman 567) 1 Print from D'Orbigny, description of work: This originally hand-colored, natural history plate is from Charles D’Orbigny’s work Dictionnaire Universel d’Histoire Naturelle . This first edition work was published in 1849 in Paris by Renard & Martinet. This engraving is from a large paper edition of the work. The entire work consisted of 288 engravings of flowers, birds, mammals, insects, fishes, and shells. The work was considered one of the paramount natural history collections of that time featuring wonderfully illustrated natural history plates. Many distinguished artists contributed to the work include Edouard Travies, Susemihl, Oudart, Werner, Vaillant, Meunier, Dalarue, Blanchard, Maubert, and Pretre. Most of the bird illustrations were provided by Travies who was a celebrated artist of his time. Each plate features the order, genus, and species printed in Latin and French in the lower margin. The plates feature great detail and attractive original hand coloring. Many of the plates were finished with shellac which adds to the strength of the coloring. Paper Size: D'Orbigny ~ 5 3/4” by 9 1/4”; Cuvier ~ 6 3/4” by 10 1/2” Paper Type or Special Features: Originally Hand-colored Engraving