Description
Pierre Joseph Bonnaterre (1747-1804) was a priest in the Rouergue and natural history professor at the central school of Rhodes . He was commissioned by the publisher Panckoucke to write and edit the section on fish for the Tableau Encyclopedique, dealing with mammals, birds, reptiles, fishes and insects. He researched and wrote a substantial text and assembled artwork depicting over 400 species, which he mainly copied from the drawings of Bloch, along with several other artists. Bonnaterre is also known for his involvement in the case of Victor, a feral child captured in nearby Aveyron, who was brought to Bonnaterre to be examined before turning him over to the authorities in Paris.
References: Nissen, 1969, Pietsch, 1995.