Bilder Jean-Baptiste-Alexandre Gide (publisher) – View of a Bearded Dragon – Oceania – Hand-coloured engraving (1853)

Beskrivning

"Grammatophore Barbu." This hand-coloured engraving illustrates a Bearded Dragon, shown in profile on a rocky surface with its vibrant blue throat display visible, alongside a secondary anatomical view of the lizard's head from below. The technical nature is a copper engraving with period hand colour published in Paris by Gide as part of the monumental Voyage au Pole Sud et dans l'Oceanie sur les corvettes l'Astrolabe et la Zelee. Paul Louis Oudart was a premier French natural history painter and illustrator who specialized in zoological subjects for official government publications. He was celebrated for his technical precision and his ability to capture the complex textures of reptilian skin and the lifelike postures of specimens collected during French scientific expeditions. His primary contribution was the visual cataloging of global biodiversity during the height of nineteenth-century maritime exploration, providing an essential record of southern hemisphere herpetology.

Paul Louis Oudart was a prolific French artist and naturalist who became a central figure in the golden age of French scientific illustration. After establishing himself as a talented painter of flora and fauna in Paris, he was commissioned to illustrate the official accounts of several major voyages of discovery, including those led by Dumont d'Urville. His primary contribution was the elevation of natural history illustration through rigorous adherence to anatomical accuracy and refined aesthetic composition. Oudart's work is significant for providing European scientists with their first detailed views of exotic lizards and amphibians from the Australasian region. His legacy remains preserved in the monumental multi-volume atlases that documented the natural wonders of the world for the French government and the Academy of Sciences.

Artist or Maker: Paul Louis Oudart (Artist).

Dimensions: Approximately 34 cm x 52 cm.

Medium: Hand-coloured engraving.

Date: 1853.

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.