Bilder Denis Diderot (1713–1784) – Histoire Naturelle, Ornithologie (Hornbills) – Engraving (1768)

Beskrivning

"Histoire Naturelle, Ornithologie" illustrates four distinct species of hornbills, categorized according to their geographical origins: the Coromandel Hornbill, the Gingi Hornbill, the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, and the Malabar Hornbill. Each bird is rendered with significant attention to the unique structure of their beaks and casques, displaying the eighteenth-century interest in the exotic avian biodiversity of Africa and Asia. This engraving is from the Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, published in Paris in 1768. The work is the definitive intellectual achievement of the French Enlightenment, aiming to consolidate all human knowledge with a particular emphasis on the systematic classification of the natural world.

Robert Bénard was a highly productive French engraver who served as the primary director for the plates of the Encyclopédie. He specialized in technical and scientific illustration, managing a large workshop to produce thousands of detailed copperplates that visualized complex biology and machinery for the first time. Bénard's work is characterized by its clarity, precision, and adherence to the descriptive requirements of the Enlightenment thinkers like Diderot and d'Alembert. His contributions were essential in transforming the Encyclopédie into a visual record of eighteenth-century zoological and botanical discovery.

Artist or Maker: Robert Bénard.

Dimensions: Approximately 29 cm x 21 cm.

Medium: Engraving.

Date: 1768.

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.