18th Century Engraving Of Corals From The Locupletissimi Rerum Naturalium Thesaurus After Albert Seba

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.

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