This oversized collector’s edition showcases antique paintings and drawings of birds and animals from the most important natural history collection in France. An unparalleled collection of the most beautiful—yet scientific—depictions of flora and fauna ever produced, these artworks document three centuries of exploration of the far reaches of the world—a rich visual record harking back to a time when science relied upon painstaking human illustration as the only way to record exotic plants and unknown animals observed during voyages of discovery. All the artworks included here were depicted on vellum, a high-quality, long-lasting parchment that fell out of use around 1900 when it was supplanted by photography. France’s national collection consists of over 7,000 such artworks and is among the world’s finest. Flora and fauna from every corner of the globe are represented in precisely rendered color and detail. Sadly, many of the species depicted in these masterful yet hauntingly accurate portraits are now endangered, threatened—or in many cases, already extinct. This volume is both a celebration of the human quest for knowledge and an epitaph for a fast disappearing world—as well as a feast for the eyes for anyone who loves birds or vintage natural history art. This exquisite and timeless book is beautifully presented in a jacketed volume within a slipcase and luxuriously packaged within an illustrated mailer with a handle for portability.

The Art of Natural History: Botanical Illustrations, Ornithological Drawings, and Other Masterpieces from the Age of Exploration

Arts & Photography

Heurtel, Pascale

Lenoir, Michelle

History & Criticism

Rizzoli

Les plantes et les fleurs du Voyage

Motta

Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759–1840) is the undisputed master of botanical art. His illustrations of flowers represent a unique fusion of botanical precision with artistic elegance. As court artist to Queen Marie-Antoinette and Empress Joséphine, Redouté drew extraordinary flowers and plants from the Jardin des plantes and the gardens of Malmaison, which made him the darling of Parisian society. Napoleon presented his books as gifts to the crowned heads of Europe, and Redouté’s images illustrated the works of the most eminent scientists of his day. His most famous books, Les Liliacées and Les Roses, are among the milestones of botanical literature. Accompanying a survey of his works at the Teylers Museum in the Netherlands, this richly illustrated publication presents a wide selection of Redouté’s books, drawings and watercolors. Several short essays by Dutch and French specialists offer a comprehensive overview of the key aspects of his art.

Pierre-Joseph Redouté: Botanical Artist to the Court of France

Baas, Pieter

van Druten, Terry

Pougetoux, Alain

nai010 publishers

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