A hand coloured antique print entitled Le Houtou ou Momot.
From ‘Histoire Naturelle Des Oiseaux’ by George-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon.
Published by L’Imprimerie Royale, Paris between 1770 and 1786.
Engraved by Haussard.
36 volumes of Histoire Naturelle were published during the author’s lifetime with a further eight being produced after his death by Leclerc’s friend Bernard Germain de Lacépède.
Born a man of modest circumstance George-Louis Leclerc secured a massive inheritance from his godfather. With this he travelled to Paris where, after some study, he earned a position as Head of Le Jardin du Roi, a major botanical garden in the city. Here he started his studies of plants and animals in earnest, collecting vast numbers of botanical and zoological specimens and turning the park into an institute of research.
I cannot find a translation for this brightly coloured bird despite two names being given .
Size: 26.6 x 21 cms or 10 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches.
Size of coloured part of image: 19.3 x 15.3 cms or 7 1/2 x 6 inches.
Condition: Near Fine. The coloured part of the engraving is clean and fresh. The white surround is occasionally marked. The paper upon which the image has been printed is lightly creased and uneven in shape. This is usual for the period. Two pieces of paper are affixed to the reverse side. These once probably attached it to a mount.
