18th Century Zoological Engravings

18th-Century French Zoological Engravings

(sold separately or both for $300)

Drawn by Jacques de Sève del.
Engraved by Mme Rousselet, fme Tardieu sculp.
From Buffon & La Cépède’s Histoire Naturelle (Paris, c. 1770–1804)

Copper-plate engravings on laid paper, matted and framed under glass
Framed size: approx. 10 x 13" Engraving size: approx. 5.35 x 3.5"
Minor age toning consistent with age; ready to hang.

A pair of finely detailed 18th century copperplate engravings depicting skeletal studies of horned quadrupeds, each poised atop a classical plinth. Both bear the inscriptions “De Sève del.” and “Mme Rousselet fme Tardieu sculp.” crediting two of the key illustrators from the monumental Histoire Naturelle. The engravings are printed on laid paper and presented in slender gilt frames with deep black mats, emphasizing the strong architectural lines of each composition. The backs retain old French gallery paper and a Jacout Encadrements Industriels, Paris IXe label.

Striking as a symmetrical pair above a console or desk, these scientific engravings bridge natural history and neoclassical design. Their black mounts and gilt frames echo early museum presentation style, making them equally suited to a library wall, study, or cabinet of curiosities.

These prints originate from Histoire Naturelle, the monumental Enlightenment-era natural-history encyclopedia begun by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, and continued after his death by his protégé Bernard-Germain de La Cépède. Artist Jacques de Sève was responsible for nearly all the animal plates in Buffon’s volumes, while engraver Marie Rousselet Tardieu (wife of Pierre-François Tardieu) executed many of the copper engravings with remarkable precision. The images reflect the 18th-century fascination with anatomy, classification, and the scientific beauty of form.

The engravings are mounted within mid-century Parisian gilt metal frames with a black paper mat featuring a thin brass surround, a subtle metallic border that gives a clean, architectural edge to each print. The backs retain the original paper seals and “Jacout Encadrements Industriels, Paris IXe” label, a well-known Paris framing house active in the mid-20th century that specialized in museum style presentation for antique works on paper.

This type of framing, common in France from the 1940s through the 1960s, pairs beautifully with 18th-century engravings: simple, refined, and designed to showcase the image while protecting the paper. It’s an attractive period frame in its own right—neither overly modern nor ornate—making the pair look timeless and distinctly French.