Mammals · 19th century
€ 160
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
General age-related toning. Some wear and soiling, adding to its patina. Blank verso. Please study image carefully.
Original antique print of reindeer. This engraved print originates from a very rare unknown Dutch work. The plates are similar to the plates in the famous German work: ‘Bilderbuch fur Kinder' by F.J. Bertuch, published 1790-1830 in Weimar. This could be Dutch edition of this work (no references found), or a work that used the Bertuch plates. Published circa 1820.
The engraving of these animals are drawn in an illustrative style common in historical natural history texts, where the details and proportions may not always be scientifically accurate according to today's standards.
Each image seems to be labeled with "Vier. Dieren" (Dutch for "four animals") followed by a Roman numeral, possibly indicating the volume or chapter in the book, and each animal is numbered, suggesting they are part of a series or catalog within the text. These illustrations were likely created at a time when the scientific community relied on drawings to document and share knowledge about different species, and often these illustrations were based on descriptions if the artist had not seen the animal in person.
