Martinet Copper Plate Engraving of a Parrot

A large hand-colored copper plate engraving on hand woven paper of a colorful parrot perched on a tree stump by Francois Nicolas Martinet, French, (b.1731-c.1804). It is signed by the artist in the bottom left and numbered 743 in the top left corner and hand-printed and titled “Perruche, des Moluques, Psittacus Moluccanus” at the bottom.  The whole is framed by a sharp yellow border.  Unframed.

Martinet was one of the most important bird illustrators of his time in France. He engraved the plates for numerous works on natural history, especially ornithology and did the illustrations for the “Histoire Naturelle Des Oiseaux” [Natural History of the Birds]  published  by L’Imprimerie Royale, Paris: 1770-86.

• France Circa 1770
• Height: 24" | Width: 18"
• Item #7792
• Price: $450