Late 18th Century Prints

Elegant 1769 Morvant Ram Engraving – Hand-Coloured Buffon Dutch Edition This impressive hand-coloured 18th-century engraving of the Morvant ram, titled Le Morvant, comes from the rare Dutch edition of Buffon’s monumental Histoire Naturelle, published in Amsterdam by J.H. Schneider in 1769. Appearing as Plate XXX in Tome XI, this striking portrait is one of the most distinctive and decorative sheep and goat engravings in the entire Buffon series. Drawn by Jacques de Sève, Buffon’s leading illustrator, and engraved with great refinement, the plate combines scientific accuracy with a strong visual presence, typical of the finest work in the quadruped volumes. The Morvant ram stands in full profile on a raised foreground bank, its powerful build, muscular legs, and long shaggy coat rendered with exquisite detail. De Sève’s elegant cross-hatching gives volume and texture to the thick wool and the dark mane that drapes down the animal’s chest. The curved horns, expressive eye, and firm stance emphasise both the strength and the calm dignity of the breed. The hand colouring, characteristic of the Amsterdam Schneider edition, enriches the engraving with warm brown tones, natural greens, and soft blues that bring the entire composition to life. Behind the ram, a landscape of minarets, domed buildings, and distant walls evokes the North African or Near Eastern setting associated with ancient regional breeds. The broad sky, shaded in subtle blue-grey washes, anchors the scene and provides an atmospheric backdrop that complements the earthy foreground tones. As a result, the plate balances scientific illustration and picturesque landscape in a way that remains highly desirable for collectors and decorators alike. Buffon’s Histoire Naturelle represented one of the most ambitious publishing achievements of the Enlightenment, combining zoological study with an artistic sensibility. The Morvant ram, a robust and historically important breed, was of particular interest for its adaptability, distinctive appearance, and long-standing role in agriculture and local culture. This engraving served as one of the earliest widely circulated visual records of the breed in Western Europe. More than 250 years old, this sheet remains bright, clean, and visually engaging. The strong plate mark, generous margins, and refined hand colouring make it an excellent standalone artwork or a perfect companion to related Buffon plates such as the Tunis ram, zebu, buffalo, or yak. Condition report: Very good for age. Minor toning and small foxing marks mostly confined to margins. Light handling marks typical of 18th-century paper. Strong impression with clearly visible plate mark. Hand colouring fresh and well preserved. No tears or repairs observed. Framing tips: Frame with an ivory, pale grey, or warm cream mat to complement the soft colouring of the wool and sky. A walnut or natural oak frame enhances the warm tones, while a slim black frame creates a more modern contrast. Floating the sheet is an excellent option to highlight the wide margins and plate mark. Keywords: Morvant ram engraving Buffon natural history Amsterdam 1769 Jacques de Sève hand coloured copper engraving antique sheep print...

English antique coloured etching, part of a series published in 1705 by T.Macklin, taken from paintings by John de Laporte. With a simple briar frame, but finished with the Florentine paper from Il...

Pair of Antique Botanical Engravings, Tournefort & Linnæus Systems, ca. 1770 A rare pair of original copperplate engravings from Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert’s monument...

Title: Antique Hand-Colored Pigeon Engraving – George Edwards / Seligmann ca. 1770 Description: This finely hand-colored bird engraving depicts a pigeon species and was originally i...

Wonderful image of classical Roman masks Copper-plate engravings Published by Monaldini, Rome, 1776 Good quality wove paper Free shipping  

This engraving, titled "Habits of the Hottentot Men & Women" and "Perspective View of the Cape of Good Hope," is a fine example of 18th-century European visual representations of dis...

The Lady’s Magazine 1784 Frontispiece: Allegorical Temple of Learning and Virtue Description: This finely engraved frontispiece features three classical draped figures approaching a...

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian, 1720–1778) Engraving of an Urn Rome, circa 1768–1778 Etching on paper Dimensions: 35 × 29 1/8 × 1 1/2 in. Executed and published in Rome during...

Large Folding Engraving of a Flea Seen Under the Microscope, Diderot’s Encyclopédie, ca. 1770 An extraordinary large copperplate engraving from Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alem...

Antique print titled 'Garrulus'. This print depicts the garrulus bird with nest and eggs. Garrulus is a genus of Old World jays, passerine birds in the family Corvidae. This print...

Antique botany print of the white lily. This print originates from 'The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-Garden Displayed (..)' by William Curtis. Publishe...

Charming Elephant Pair, Antique Hand-Coloured Prints by Buffon, 1769 This impressive matched pair of 18th-century elephant engravings, depicting the male and female Asian elephant, ...

18th Century Cannon Foundry Engraving from Diderot’s Encyclopédie, circa 1770 This fine 18th-century engraving, titled Fonte des Canons, origin...

Antique Plan of Egyptian Catacombs Alexandria Necropolis Latomia 1776 This original 18th-century engraving presents a detailed architectural plan of several catacombs and ruins in a...

Nilometer in Cairo – Section and Plan for Measuring Nile Floods, Egypt 1776 Description: This original 1776 engraving shows a vertical section and ground plan of the Nilometer in Ca...

Complete Set of 10 Camel Anatomy Engravings, Buffon Scientific Plates 1769 This exceptional suite of ten original 18th-century anatomical engravings of the dromedary camel comes fro...

Rare 1769 Tapir Trio – Hand-Coloured Buffon Engravings from Amsterdam Edition This outstanding three-plate tapir set comes from the 1769 Amsterdam Dutch edition of Buffon’s Histoire...

Pair of Antique Camel Anatomy Engravings, Buffon Scientific Plates 1769 This refined pair of 18th-century camel anatomy engravings comes from the Dutch edition of Buffon’s celebrate...

Hogarth's 1756 England Satirical Print: A Patriotic Masterpiece, Published 1799 This image is a work by William Hogarth titled "England," part of his series "France and England," al...

Pair of hand colored engravings of the Royal Palace and Brussels Park by Balthasar Friedrich Leizelt (also spelled Leizel, active 1750–1800) a German artist and copperplate engraver working from Augsburg. These are beautiful and evocative renderings of architecture, open space and perspective. 1- Place Royal A Bruxelles 2- Vue Du Parc A Bruxelles 22 inches wide 18 high Leizelt produced a series of European and American scenic views at a time when pictures of foreign countries and people were popular and designed for use in optical viewers. As is normal for these prints the series title is a mirror image because optical viewers made use of mirrors which reversed the image. The Age of Enlightenment sparked a great interest in science, so that optical toys...

Set of Three Engravings of Sea Urchins and Marine Life from Diderot’s Encyclopédie, ca. 1770 A fine set of three copperplate engravings from Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alember...

A fine late18th century coloured copper mezzotint engraving printed on original handmade wove paper, after the original painting by George Morland. The bottom left margin references ...

Antique Purple Jacob's Ladder, Golden Monkeyflower, and Red Kangaroo Paw Prints, 1796 This captivating collection features three antique botanical prints from 1796: Purple Jacob's L...

Wonderful set of 8 botanical prints. A beautiful colour of off-white/cream to the paper. Dated 1791 Originally from " Flora Londinensis " published by William Curtis Copper-plat...

Bold Leaves and Butterfly – Hand-Colored Botanical Print from Meerburgh’s 1775 Series This striking hand-colored botanical engraving, designated Tab. VII, is an original plate from ...

Pont Marie and Pont Rouge in Paris – Hand-Colored Optical View, ca. 1770 This charming hand-colored copperplate engraving titled “Le Pont Marie et le Pont Rouge à Paris” (The Pont M...

Title: Kleine Ente mit Purpurfarbenem Kopf - Hand-Colored Engraving of the Little Duck with a Purple Head by Johann Michael Seligmann, 18th Century This delightful hand-colored engr...

Rare Dutch Bird Print – Hoopoe, Bullfinch, Linnet and Quail, ca. 1770–1829 Antique hand-coloured print from Nederlandsche Vogelen, the monumental ornithological work published in Am...

A fine example of Rigobert Bonne and Guilleme Raynal’s 1780 map of Europe. Drawn by R. Bonne for G. Raynal’s Atlas de Toutes les Parties Connues du Globe Terrestre, Dressé pour l'His...

Architectural Ornament of the Louvre – Cornices and Balustrade by Louis-Pierre Baltard Description: An exquisite architectural engraving by Louis-Pierre Baltard (1764–1846) depictin...

The Exchange Hall in Lyon – 18th Century Hand-Colored Engraving by Daumont This impressive 18th-century hand-colored engraving depicts the Exchange Hall (Bourse or Loge des Changes)...

Woman of Aragon – Hand-Colored Engraving by Grasset de Saint-Sauveur, c.1797 An exquisite late-18th-century hand-colored engraving titled “Femme de l’Aragon,” designed by Jacques Gr...

The Port of Marseille – 18th Century Hand-Colored Engraving by Daumont, Paris Description: This lively 18th-century hand-colored engraving, titled “Le Port de Marseilles,” was publi...

View of the Harbor and City of Cannes – Engraving by Dubois after Courvoisier, 1784 Description: This fine 18th-century engraving titled “Vue de la Rade et de la Ville de Cannes” (V...

Eighteenth-Century Engraving of a Cannon-Boring Machine from Fonte des Canons Description: This highly detailed eighteenth-century engraving illustrates a cannon-boring machine used...

Grand Master of the Teutonic Order: 1791 Hand-Colored Engraving in Ceremonial Robes This exquisite hand-colored engraving, titled "Hochmeister des deutschen Ordens" (Grand Master ...

View of Delft Canal to The Hague – Hand-Colored Optical Print, Paris, c.1760 This charming hand-colored optical print titled “Vue du Canal de Delft à la Haye Ville de Hollande” depi...

Knight of the Order of Saint Hubert: 1791 Hand-Colored Engraving in Formal Attire This impressive hand-colored engraving, titled "Ritter des St. Hubertus Ordens" (Knight of the Order of Saint Hubert), portrays a knight of this esteemed order dressed in opulent ceremonial attire. The knight is adorned in a black brocade cloak with intricate floral patterns, layered over a formal suit of red and gold accents. The ensemble is complemented by a flamboyant hat featuring a dramatic red plume, indicative of the high status associated with the Order. The knight also wears the insignia of the Order, including a golden cross...

The print, titled "Various Instruments used by the Natives of Otaheite," was created by the artist John Webber, who is well-known for his work as the official artist on Captain James...

Title: Column of Trajan, Rome – Original Hand-Colored Engraving, 1798 This original hand-colored engraving titled "Column of Trajan" was published in London on May 14th, 1798 by L. ...

The Great Green Parrot of the West Indies – Hand-Colored Engraving, Edwards & Seligmann, c.1750–1776 This vibrant hand-colored engraving shows the Psittacus viridis major, Occidentalis (Great Green Parrot of the West Indies), perched on a branch with surrounding foliage. The parrot’s plumage is richly detailed in green, yellow, red, and blue, with its hooked beak and striking gaze finely rendered. The multilingual inscriptions identify it as Der große grüne Papagey aus West-Indien (German), Le Grand Perroquet Verd des Indes Occidentales (French), and Psittacus viridis major, Occidentalis (Latin). At the lower left, G. Edwards ad viv. delin. credits the original life drawing...

Antique print titled 'Der bei geringer und schlechter Kost vergnügte Pandur und Kroat'. Rare, original antique print of a Pandur and Croat having a meal. This print originates from a series published by Martin Engelbrecht...

Antique Map of the Pyramids of Saqqara and Dahshur – Egypt, c.1710s Description: This rare early 18th-century engraving presents a bird’s-eye topographic plan of the pyramids of Saq...

Greek Inscriptions from Egypt – Antique Print of Ancient Texts, Pococke 1776 This intriguing antique print displays a collection of ancient Greek inscriptions found in Egypt, meticu...

Japanese Edo-Period Landscape with Poem – Pavilion and Autumn Hills, c.1790 Description: This original Japanese woodblock print from the late Edo period, circa 1790, depicts a tranq...

Fabulous collection of thirteen 18th Century French ornithological engravings by Francois Nicolas Martinet [1726-1804]. They are mounted behind glass in simple black wooden frames. ...

Chaplain of the Teutonic Order: 1791 Hand-Colored Engraving in Ceremonial Attire This beautiful hand-colored engraving, titled "Priester des d...

Optica View The Hague Nieuwe Voorhout from the Bos, c.1770 This is a finely engraved and hand-colored optical print titled 'Gesicht van het Nieuwe Voorhout komende uyt het Bosch. Vu...

Saint Francis of Paola, engraving by Antonio Gramignani, Rome, circa 1670–1690 Description: This devotional engraving by Antonio Gramignani (active Rome, late 17th century) depicts ...

This is a delicate botanical illustration of a Pink Quill, also known as Tillandsia cyanea. The flower is depicted in its typical form with a soft pink hue, prominently displaying it...

Title: Knight of the Order of the Bath: 18th-Century Engraving by Schwan Description: This striking hand-colored engraving features the "Ritter des Ordens vom Bade" (Knight of the...

"The City of Malacca in the East Indies" is from Charles Theodore Middleton's work, "A New and Complete System of Geography." This book was published in 1777. Therefore, the engrav...

Title: Temple and Buildings of the Labyrinth at Hawara – Floor Plan Engraving, Egypt 1776 Description: This 1776 architectural engraving presents a detailed floor plan of the legend...

Edo-Period Actor Portrait with Umbrella – School of Katsukawa Shunshō, c.1780 Description: This elegant Edo-period Japanese woodblock print, dating from around 1780, depicts a seate...

Set of Three Antique Engravings of Butterflies and Moths from Diderot’s Encyclopédie, ca. 1770 A fine trio of copperplate engravings from Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert’s...

Title: Views of the Pyramids at Dashur and Plan of the False Pyramid – Egypt Engraving, 1776 Description: This original engraving from 1776 features a series of views and architectu...

Californian Woman in Deerskin Dress, Indigenous Portrait – Hand-Colored Engraving This rare late 18th-century hand-colored engraving titled A Californian Woman, habited in the Skin ...

Antique Engraving of a Hungarian Officer by Martin Engelbrecht, c.1780 Rare original hand-colored engraving depicting a Hussar officer from the "ne...

California Quail Pair – Male and Female Partridge of California, Antique Bird Print This fine early ornithological engraving depicts a male and female California quail, here titled ...

California Birds – Northern California Honeyeater and Port Français Thrush, c.1800 This attractive pair of early ornithological engravings depicts two bird species observed along th...