Rare 1769 Tapir Trio – Original Hand-Coloured Buffon Engravings

Copperplate engraving on a vellin type hand laid paper with watermark. Original hand colouring. - Overall size: 21.5 x 25.5 cm (8.5 x 10.4 inches) - Image size: 15 x 19 cm (5.9 ...

Rare Antique Rhinoceros Engraving, Buffon Hand-Coloured Print Amsterdam 1769 Description: This striking 18th-century engraving of the Indian rhinoceros, titled Le Rhinoceros, comes from the Dutch edition of Buffon’s monumental natural history, published in Amsterdam by J.H. Schneider in 1769. Appearing as Plate VII in Tome XI, this is one of the most dramatic and desirable mammal plates in the entire series. The image was drawn by Jacques de Sève, the principal artist for Buffon’s Histoire Naturelle, and engraved by C.J. Fritsch, whose finely controlled linework captures the heavy folds, armour-like hide, and distinctive single horn of Rhinoceros unicornis with remarkable accuracy. Buffon’s description of the rhinoceros reflected the 18th century’s growing scientific curiosity about exotic species, and this plate reflects that fascination. The animal is shown standing solidly on a grassy bank against a pale sky and rocky cliff, a composition that emphasises both its mass and its rarity. De Sève’s rendering combines scientific observation with something of the romance and wonder that natural history imagery held for Enlightenment audiences. The armour-plated skin is depicted in sculptural relief through subtle cross-hatching, while carefully applied hand colouring enhances the deep greys, browns, and dusty pinks of the hide and landscape. As with all Schneider-edition plates, the colouring is richer, more transparent, and more refined than in many other continental versions of Buffon. This engraving is an excellent example of 18th-century copperplate technique. The plate mark is clearly visible, the impression strong, and the proportions generous, with wide margins characteristic of the Amsterdam edition. The sheet forms a beautiful standalone artwork but also pairs exceptionally well with other large-format Buffon subjects such as the elephant, camel, or buffalo plates...

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, ...

Title: Rare 1802 Hand-Colored Print of Indian Elephants and Mythical Sukotyro Description: This exquisite hand-colored copperplate engraving from 1802 captures the serene beauty of ...

Tapir Maiba is an original lithograph on ivory-colored paper, realized by Paul Gervais (1816-1879). The artwork is from The Series of "Les Trois Règnes de la Nature", and was publish...

Great image of an Indian and a lesser two horn rhino Unframed. It gives you the option of perhaps making a set up using your own choice of frames. Lithograph after Cpt. brown with ...

ANTIQUE NATURAL HISTORY HAND COLOURED COPPER PLATE ENGRAVINGS Depicting seven exotic animals across four engravings. Plate LXXIII - Depicts ‘Didelphis Gigante, Macropus Major or K...

Tapir Pinchaque is an original lithograph on ivory-colored paper, realized by Paul Gervais (1816-1879). The artwork is from The Series of "Les Trois Règnes de la Nature", and was pub...