Bilder François-Hubert Martinet (1731-1800) – View of a Grey-winged Trumpeter – Hand-coloured etching (1780)

Beskrivning

"L'Agamie, de Cayenne". This work depicts a Grey-winged Trumpeter (Psophia crepitans) standing in profile upon a small mound of earth with low-growing vegetation. The bird is rendered with a dark, iridescent neck and breast, contrasting with the pale grey feathers of its back and wings, and its characteristic long, reddish legs. This hand-coloured etching is from the monumental ornithological series Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, published in Paris between 1770 and 1783. The plate is distinguished by the iconic yellow border typical of this series, which was the most ambitious and comprehensive study of birds produced in the eighteenth century.

François-Hubert Martinet was a French engineer, architect, and one of the most prolific natural history illustrators of the Enlightenment. He is best known for supervising and executing the nearly one thousand copperplate engravings for Buffon's Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. Martinet's work is celebrated for its clarity, vibrant hand-applied colour, and the naturalistic poses of the subjects, which were often based on specimens in the King’s Cabinet in Paris. His illustrations served as a primary reference for ornithologists for decades and remain among the most recognizable and collected examples of classical bird art. Martinet also contributed to the famous Encyclopédie of Diderot and d’Alembert, cementing his legacy as a key figure in the visual documentation of scientific knowledge.

Artist or Maker:
François-Hubert Martinet.

Dimensions:
Approximately 28 cm x 18 cm.

Medium:
Hand-coloured etching.

Date:
1780.

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.