Catesby / Edwards - Recueil de divers oiseaux - 1768-1976

Large-format facsimile of a classic 18th-century ornithological plate book with 64 colored illustrations of rare and exotic bird species after Catesby and Edwards.

First edition. Publisher: Paris, Draeger, 1976. Complete with 64 color cardboard plates with German, French and Latin designations, in original linen case with gilt title. LARGE FOLIO 45 x 30 cm.
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Large-format, high-quality facsimile edition of one of the most impressive ornithological plate works of the 18th century. The publication brings together natural history representations of rare and exotic bird species based on drawings by Mark Catesby and George Edwards and reproduces the historical copper engravings in a careful color facsimile. The plates depict birds in characteristic poses within their natural surroundings—often combined with botanical elements—and thus convey the aesthetic as well as scientific imagery of early natural science.

The present edition appeared as a bibliophile portfolio with loose plates and allows an immediate viewing of the individual sheets in their original, representative format. Through the high-quality reproduction the character of the colored original engravings—line work, color, and composition—is impressively preserved. A decorative as well as documentary work that appeals equally to collectors of natural history graphics, lovers of historical ornithology, and friends of classical illustration.
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A clean and well-preserved specimen