Francois Levaillant | Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de paradis. Paris, 1806, 2 volumes

François Levaillant

Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de paradis et des rolliers, suivie de celle des Toucans et des Barbus. Paris: Denné et Perlet, 1806

2 volumes, folio (578 x 438 mm). Half-title and title-page to each volume, 114 engraved plates after drawings by Jacques Barraband, printed in colour and finished by hand, two of which are double page, plates in two states with tissue guards, red morocco gilt, with dark blue morocco inlays, edges gilt, yellow silk endpapers, first 6 leaves of volume 1 loose, some browning, several plates slightly foxed, plates 20 and 21 in volume 1 foxed, upper cover of volume 1 detached, upper joint of volume 2 weak, binding rubbed and scraped, corners bumped

Jacques Barraband (1767-1809) was one of the most skilful natural history painters of his time and produced illustrations for many ornithological publications, the best of which can be found in Levaillant's works. The plates were engraved by Pérée, Grémillier and Bouquet, and were printed by Langlois and Rousset. The plates were produced by the so-called "à la poupée" process, developed by Henri-Joseph Redouté, which allowed the colours to be applied directly to the copper plates to draw the plates with one application (not a different application for each colour).

LITERATURE:

Fine Bird Books, p. 118; Nissen IVB 559; Ronsil 298