Histoire naturelle des singes et des makis. by AUDEBERT. JEAN-BAPTISTE - AnVIII [1797-1799]

Paris, AnVIII [1797-1799]. 1/2 Leather. Very Good. 2 Volumes. Folio (49.0 x 32.5 cm). Half calf with orange paper boards. Collation: Vol. 1- 2 + 176 pp.; Vol. 2- 63 engraved plates hand colored except for last two anatomical plates. This is a complete set of text and plates. The volumes have original orange paper on boards and half calf leather binding. The leather is recent but in style of period. The spines have raised bands with new black leather labels- author and title in gilt. Central panel on each volume has volume number in gilt. Remaining panels blank. Double gilt border on leather at interface with paper boards. Both volumes have wear on the boards. All edges of text block painted in red ink. Internal condition is exceptionally good for both volumes. There is one page in the text volume with some age browning and very occasional marks on a few other pages. The plate volume is complete with 63 plates (61 hand colored). There are about two plates with fore edge damp staining (17 x 6 cm; 17 x 4 cm). The damp staining is very much removed from the image area.

This is the first publication by Audebert, a French painter and naturalist, who used his own special technique for coloring his engraved plates. This is a remarkable work by an extremely talented artist and engraver whose engraved plates rendered the animals in a natural brilliance. This is the first publication by Audebert, a French naturalist, who used his own special technique for making the plates. This is a truly remarkable work in very good condition. This is the only work by Audebert published in his lifetime. He died in 1700 and left two other works on birds published posthumously. (Nissen ZBI 156, Wood, p.206).