The White-Tailed Deer and the Reindeer, 1845, Paper

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The illustration depicts two species of deer: 1. **Cervus virginianus** - Commonly known as the white-tailed deer, this species is … Read more The illustration depicts two species of deer: 1. **Cervus virginianus** - Commonly known as the white-tailed deer, this species is native to the Americas. It is characterized by the white underside to its tail, which it displays prominently when alarmed. The deer in the illustration is shown with its tail down and a prominent rack of antlers, which indicates it is a male. 2. **Cervus tarandus** - This is the reindeer, also known as the caribou in North America. Reindeer are adapted to cold environments and are known for their thick fur and large, branching antlers, which can be found on both males and females, though the one in the illustration appears to be a male. The print is another example of a hand-colored engraving from Drapiez's 'Dictionnaire Classique des Sciences Naturelles' published in 1845. The hand coloring is subtle, yet it effectively highlights the natural coloring of the animals. The deer are depicted in side profile, which allows for a clear view of their body structure and antlers. Such illustrations were important for scientific classification and for sharing knowledge of zoology with a wider audience during that era. The print is detailed and colored in the 19th century when such illustrations were common in scientific works. The animals are depicted in their natural habitats or settings that resemble it, which adds educational value to the illustration. The precise lines and the careful coloring suggest that the print was made with the intent to accurately educate about these species. They were part of a larger collection of animal illustrations used for academic or encyclopedic purposes. It is an illustration from the 'Dictionnaire Classique des Sciences Naturelles' by Pierre Auguste Joseph Drapiez, which was published in 1845. This work is part of the tradition of 19th-century natural history publications that aimed to document and describe the natural world in detail. The illustrations in such works were both scientifically informative and artistically rendered, often by skilled artists who specialized in natural history subjects. Each animal in the illustration is drawn with attention to anatomical detail and is placed within a naturalistic setting, which reflects the scientific and educational intentions of the work. The labels provide the scientific Latin name, which was and still is the universal language of taxonomy, as well as the common French name, indicating the animal's common identification in the region where the book was published. This particular print would have served as an important reference for scholars, naturalists, and enthusiasts of natural history in the mid-19th century, offering a visual complement to the written s found within the text of the 'Dictionnaire'. The fact that these illustrations are still appreciated today speaks to their quality and the enduring interest in the natural world. See less