18th Century Engraving By Seba: Hedgehog And Ostrich

Plate from the work published between 1734-1765: Locupletissimi rerum naturalium thesauri accurata descriptio et iconibus artificiosissimis expressis per universam physices historiam, opus... ex toto terrarum orbe collegit, digessit, descripsit et depingendum curavit Albertus Seba... Albertus Seba is a Dutch zoologist and pharmacist, famous for his cabinet of curiosities. The income from his pharmacy provided him with a solid fortune, which he devoted to natural history, buying specimens from the new world and distant lands. He sold his first collection to Tsar Peter I the Great in 1717 (which constituted the embryo of the future museum in Saint Petersburg). Seba's Thesaurus is a splendid publication, on the border between art and science. The animals are figured in artistic poses and the shells form decorative patterns. These prints represent a pinnacle in the art of naturalistic illustration. They will often be used by other authors after him, notably Linnaeus.

Large plate with good margins, usual median fold, some halos in the upper margin.
Date: 1734-1765

Copper width: 550.00
Copper height: 440.00
Sheet width: 640.00
Sheet height: 490.00