early 19th century engraving, le perroquet cendré [after jacques barraband]

A beautiful hand-finished stipple engraving from François Le Vaillant’s, Histoire Naturelle des Perroquets. Engraved by Langlois under the direction of Louis Bouquet, after a watercolour by Jacques Barraband (1767-1809).

Soon after becoming Emperor, Napoleon set about initiating a series of lavish publications to demonstrate the wealth and dominance of the empire. These were sent as gifts to noteworthy individuals, including crowned heads and men of science.One such publication was François Levaillant’s ornithological masterpiece, Histoire Naturelle des Perroquets (1801-1805). Levaillant (1753-1824) was considered to be one of the greatest French naturalists of his generation. He attained prominence by meticulously describing many new species of birds that he’d studied in their natural habitat, particularly while travelling in Africa.For the Histoire Naturelle des Perroquets, he commissioned leading zoological and botanical illustrator, Jacques Barraband (1767-1809), to produce over 300 watercolours depicting these vivid colourful birds. Barraband was known to Napoleon and undertook several commissions for Levaillant over the course of his lifetime.The result was an exceptional set of scientifically-accurate and beautifully-detailed paintings that many believe still rate as the finest ornithological works ever produced. They seem to bring the birds to life with their rich, sumptuous, colours and highly intricate textures.Barraband’s watercolours were then engraved and finished by Langlois under the direction of Louis Bouquet. The subsequent catalogue was released by Levrault Frères in Paris, circa 1805, and copies are highly scarce. In 2007, a complete first edition sold at Christie’s for £108,500. We’re delighted to present four of the original hand-finished engravings from Histoire Naturelle des Perroquets, here at Brave. Quite possibly our most exciting little collection to date.Further information: https://bravefineart.com/products/le-perroquet-cendre-after-jacques-barrabandMedium: Stipple engraving
Size including frame: 20¾” x 17?” / 53cm x 45cm
Year of creation: c. 1805
Condition: Slight foxing

Antiques.co.uk Ref: C92REPWM

Width (cm):

45

Height (cm):

53

Here on antiques co uk we love antiques and specialise in selling antiques. Even though this item was for sale and is now sold or otherwise now unavailable we have many more items for sale including vintage antiques, silver, tables, watches, jewellery and much more for your interiors and home.

Search all the antiques currently for sale on www.antiques co uk. Or why not consider selling your antiques and making sales more easily with us!

Brave Fine Art

At Brave, we track down decorative antique and vintage art that’s hard to ignore - from characterful old portraits through to beautiful historic landscapes. We've also got a soft spot for quirky vintage animals. There’s two of us behind the scenes - Andy and Liv. Andy takes care of the buying and Liv looks after the presentation. Both of us get involved in the boxing up. If you have any questions at all, please just let us know. We work hard to research every piece thoroughly and we're always happy to help.

Contact details