Jacques de Seve, Le Chien de Berger, Etching, 1771

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Plate from histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, tom. V, pl. Xxviii, p. 300. Paris, 1771. Etching and engraving on laid … Read more Plate from histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, tom. V, pl. Xxviii, p. 300. Paris, 1771. Etching and engraving on laid paper. Sheet size: 24.5 × 19.5 cm. A finely engraved natural history plate depicting a shepherd’s dog standing in profile upon a slight rise, its long, textured coat rendered with meticulous cross-hatching. The animal is shown alert, facing left, against a pastoral background featuring architectural structures and a distant village gate, with felled logs and foliage in the foreground. The composition balances scientific observation with the refined aesthetic sensibility characteristic of 18th-century french natural history illustration. Signed in the plate lower left “de sève del.” and lower right “p.f. Tardieu sculp.” plate caption centered below image: “le chien de berger.” upper margin inscribed “tom. V.” and “pl. Xxviii. Pag. 300.” a strong, clear impression with visible plate mark, printed on period laid paper. Condition: very good, with light uniform age toning and minor marginal handling; a central vertical fold as issued or from early binding, otherwise well preserved. An elegant example from buffon’s monumental encyclopedic work, one of the most influential natural history publications of the enlightenment. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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