Antique Print-SMEW-WIDGEON-PETREL-SHEARWATER-Martinet-Diderot-1751

Description

Copperplate engraving and etching on a verge type hand laid paper with watermark, not visible on every sheet. on paper.

Size in cm: The overall size is ca. 25.6 x 39.6 cm. The image size is ca. 20.1 x 34.5 cm. Size in inch: The overall size is ca. 10.1 x 15.6 inch. The image size is ca. 7.9 x 13.6 inch.

Plate 50 : ‘Histoire Naturelle, Regne Animal, 1. Piette male – 2. Le Canard siffleur – 3. Le Petrel – 4. Le Puffin’. (Natural History, animal kingdom. 1. Smew – 2. Widgeon – 3. Petrel – 4. Shearwater.) This engraving originates from the plate section: ‘Histoire naturelle’. (Plates dealing with natural history). This old antique print originates from: ‘The Encyclopedie ou Dictionnaire raisonne des sciences, des arts et des metiers, par une Societe de Gens de lettres.’ which was published under the direction of Diderot and d’Alembert, with 17 volumes of text and 11 volumes of plates between 1751 and 1772. It contained 72,000 articles written by more than 140 contributors. This encyclopdia was a massive reference work for the arts and sciences, as well as a means to propagate the ideas of the French Enlightment. The impact of this encyclopedia was enormous.Artists and Engravers: Denis Diderot (1713-1784) was a French philosopher, art critic and writer. Jean le Rond d’Alembert (1717-1783) was a French mathematician, mechanician, physicist and philosopher. These plates are engraved by J.A.Defehrt and Bonaventure/Benoit-Louis Prevost after J.R Lucotte or Benard after De La Rue / De Boissieu / Martinet.

Condition: Excellent. General age related toning and occasional light staining. Please study scan carefully.

Keywords: ANTIQUE PRINT-SMEW-WIDGEON-PETREL-SHEARWATER-MARTINET-DIDEROT

(PCOMAN) A53-23