Catalog Archive
Auction 128, Lot 900

"[Lot of 5 - Animals]", St. Hilaire/Cuvier

Subject: Natural History

Period: 1819-42 (published)

Publication: Histoire Naturelle des Mammifères…

Color: Hand Color

Size:
11 x 4.5 inches
27.9 x 11.4 cm
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Five stone lithographed mammals heightened with hand coloring from this important publication. The lot includes 1) Assapan Male; 2) Genette male; 3) Coati brun, femelle; 4) Coati brun femelle, variete fauve; and 5) Agouti, male. Each was well rendered by Jean-Charles Werner with the lithograph by C. de Last. Werner was an illustrator for the Museum of Natural History in Paris.

These animal studies were produced by Geoffroy St. Hilaire and Georges Cuvier. Their four-volume publication was one of the more important of its day on the study and classification of mammals. St. Hilaire was a celebrated French zoologist who, at the age of 21, became a professor of vertebrate zoology at the Museum of Natural History in 1793. Georges Cuvier is remembered for almost single-handedly creating the discipline of vertebrate paleontology. His greatest achievement was proving the theory that there were previous life forms that had become extinct.

References:

Condition: A+

All are fine less one of the Coati bruns has foxing and water stains at sides, well away from image.

Estimate: $150 - $200

Sold for: $75

Closed on 5/20/2009

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