Bilder François-Nicolas Martinet (1731–1800) – Troupiale, appellé Cassique jaune, du Brésil – Hand-coloured etching (1770)

Beskrivning

"Troupiale, appellé Cassique jaune, du Brésil" depicts a Golden-winged Cacique (Cacicus chrysopterus), showing its characteristic black plumage with vivid yellow wing patches and rump. This hand-coloured etching is a plate from the Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux, published by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, in Paris between 1770 and 1786. The illustration is part of the Planches Enluminées series, which utilized a vibrant and rigorous hand-colouring process to document global avian diversity for the French Royal Cabinet.

François-Nicolas Martinet was a French engineer and engraver who became the most celebrated bird illustrator of the eighteenth century. He served as the official engraver to the Cabinet du Roi and worked closely with the leading naturalists of his time to document global avian species. His technique combined rigorous anatomical precision with a delicate use of hand-applied colour to capture the iridescence and texture of exotic feathers. Martinet’s prolific output for Buffon’s multi-volume series helped define the visual language of the Enlightenment's natural history movement.

Artist or Maker: François-Nicolas Martinet.

Dimensions: Approximately 28 cm x 18 cm.

Medium: Hand-coloured etching.

Date: 1770.

Condition Report:
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.