Buffon - Natural History. Edition Of 1749: 15 Volumes, 576 Engravings Of Animals.

[BUFFON, STEWARD OF THE KING'S GARDEN (Georges-Louis LECLERC, count of), DAUBENTON GARDE & DEMONSTRATOR OF THE NATURAL HISTORY CABINET (Louis Jean-Marie)] - Natural, general and particular history with the description of the king's cabinet. Paris, Imprimerie royale, 1749; in-4, IV-612, 603, 530, XVI-544, 312, 344, 379, 403, 376, 370, 451, 452, 443, 412, 207 pp. + concordance and alphabetical table of names for the four-legged animals CCCXXV, full binding in marbled blond calfskin, spine decorated with 5 nerves, edges painted in red. The 15 volumes. Georges-Louis Leclerc, Count of Buffon (1707-1788) began his career translating Newton. In 1738, during a session at the Academy, he made an enemy in the person of Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau. The king appointed him steward of the King's Garden (Jardin des Plantes) in 1739. Finally established, he devoted himself to Natural History, surrounding himself with the best scientists of his time. Content: first part: Theory of the Earth; second part: Animals. Louis Jean-Marie D'Aubenton, dit Daubenton, born May 29, 1716 in Montbard and died December 31, 1799 in Paris, is a French naturalist and doctor, first director of the National Museum of Natural History. He provided the first fifteen volumes with articles of anatomical description, which are masterpieces of exactitude and which still form in the nineteenth century one of the bases of comparative anatomy. First edition of this text. The first fifteen volumes can be considered complete in themselves, since they form the theory of the earth, Natural history of animals, Nature of man and Discourse on the nature of animals. The publication of natural history begins in 1749 until 1789 for the 36 volumes written by Buffon and continues until 1804 for the 8 volumes written by Lacépède. It is amusing to note that the two main authors of natural history were both born in Montbard. Our work contains 2 frontispieces, 2 maps, 576 engravings and 19 chapter vignettes as well as numerous cul-de-lamps. For the most part these engravings were executed by Jacques de Sèves, (Jacques de Sève (active 1742-1788) is a 17th century French designer, engraver and illustrator in the disciplines of natural history). Between 1759 and 1762, he was one of the main contributors as an illustrator to Buffon's General and Particular Natural History, in particular for quadrupeds, following models or sketches provided by Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Buvée, or des sketches brought back by travelers. He may have worked from life, going to the Versailles menagerie and attending dissection sessions. What is less known is that De Sève executed no less than 2,000 drawings, in wash and brown ink. Each drawing, according to the archives of the Royal Printing Office which was the publisher of Buffon, was paid to him 24 pounds. These drawings will be engraved among others by Jean-Charles Baquoy, Heinrich Guttenberg, Louis Claude Le Grand, or by ten hands. De Sève seems to have been attached to the King's Cabinet, Louis XV having personally financed Buffon's business from his own funds. This set is in very good condition since just one cap is very, very slightly damaged.