Jacques Barraband (1767-1809) (after)
Christian Ludwig Brehm (1787-1864) (editor)
Military Macaw [Psittacus militaris. Soldaten Ara]
Cuban Macaw [Psittacus tricolor. Dreifarbiger Papagei]
Red-bellied Macaw [Psittacus Macawuanna. Der Macawuanna Papagei
White-eyed Conure [Psittacus guianensis. Der guianische Papagei]
Purple-backed Parrot [Psittacus purpureo dorsalis. Purpurrückiger Papagei]
Hyacinth-colored Parrot [Psittacus hyacynthinus. Hnacinthfarbiger Papagei]
from Monographie der
Papagaien oder vollstandige Naturgeschichte
[Monograph of the Parrots, or Complete Natural History]
Jena and Paris: 1842-1855
Hand-colored engravings
12 x 9 inches, overall
21 x 16 inches, matted
$4,800, set of 6
Prints from Monograph of the Parrots
Jacques Barraband
Jacques Barraband
 White-eyed Conure |
 Cuban Macaw |
 Military Macaw |
 Hyacinth-colored Parrot |
 Red-bellied Macaw |
 Purple-backed Parrot |
Group of four colorful exotic tropical parrot ornithological studies, featuring macaws and a conure, each bird perched on a branch. They are based on images by Jacques Barraband, the finest ornithological artist of the early 19th Century, the era of the Empire of Napoleon in France, when interest in African birds was generated by Napoleon's African campaigns. These plates were adapted from Barraband's Histoire Naturelle des Perroquets (1801-1805).
Jacques Barraband (or Barraban) was the son of a weaver at the Aubusson tapestry factory, and was a pupil of the flower painter Joseph Malaine (1745-1809). He also worked for the Gobelin Factory and the porcelain factory of Sèvres. His most important work was a set of approximately 300 drawings for the scientist François Levaillant's three renowned ornithological monographs, including Histoire Naturelle des Perroquets (1801-1805), a landmark in bird publications for its sumptuous color plates. Barraband is considered the foremost ornithological artist in nineteenth-century France, admired for his ability to bring his subjects to life through conveying the texture of the feathers and the vivid coloration of the birds.
Christian Ludwig Brehm was known as "the bird minister," a German pastor in Renthendorf who simultaneously pursued his passion for ornithology. Brehm belonged to the first generation of modern German ornithologists who conducted field research and studied birds in their habitats. At his parsonage he amassed a collection of 15,000 bird skins which he prepared and classified himself, and which ornithologists from within and outside Germany came to study. He also published some 200 titles. His son, Alfred Edmund Brehm (1829-1884), became a distinguished zoologist and writer.
Condition: Generally very good with only minor overall toning, handling wear. Margins a bit short but ample.
References:
"Der Vogelpastor." Brehm House. http://www.tmanke.de/Projekte/Brehm/HTM/vogelpastor.htm (10 July 2003).
Fine Bird Books (1990) p.81.
Nissen IVB 142.
Whittel p.75.
Wood p.255.