All the World's Birds. Buffon's Illustrated Natural History General and Particular of Birds

Description:

Illustrated by François-Nicolas Martinet. Selected and Introduced by Stéphane Schmitt with Céderic Crémière. Forword by David Sibley. Before Audubon, there was Buffon's Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, originally published in thirty-six volumes between 1749 and 1778. All the World's Birds comprises selections from Buffon's original seminal Enlightenment text paired with the beautiful full-colour reproductions of period engravings by Martinet, originally published separately. These wondrous eighteenth century depictions of birds are among the earliest scientific attempts to depict birds in all their detail, and these plates are a milestone in the development of ornithological art. Anyone interested in birds or ornithological art will surely want this book.

Condition

Large format (390x310mm), orig. cloth in d/w and illustrated slipcase. Fine copy, as new.