Title
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“Theatrum Universale Omnium Animalium”
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Author/Artist
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John
Jonstone
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Date
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1650 Reissue 1773
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Sizes
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Imperial Folio
12″ 1/4
x 18″ 1/2 (31 x
47,0 cm)
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Description
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Copper engraving. Beautiful original hand coloring.
Very Scarce.
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“Theatrum
Universale”
Reissued as
“Histoire
Naturelle Des Différent Oiseaux”
By J.Jonstone
Biography of the Artist.
John Jonston
(15th September 1603 – April 1675)
Born in
Szamotuły
(Poland) in 1603, Jonston (or Johnstone) – a descendant of a
Scottish family -was an important medical doctor and a prominent naturalist.
He was born into a poor family and devoted himself to the study
of natural science and medicine being supported by
his paternal
uncle
and studied at St. Andrews, Cambridge, and Leiden.
Jonston
spent most of his life travelling through Europe. While he resided at Leyden, he
took his degree as doctor of physics; and when he went a third time to England,
the same honour was conferred on him by the university of Cambridge.
His works became of great importance, first of all because of
their new educational approach, and were an important contribution to the
growing of natural history studies. Four of his dictionary-style works – a
magnificent, unusually beautifully and richly illustrated natural history
compilation on fish, birds, quadrupeds, and insects -published between 1650 and
1653 were widely read and translated.
In 1665 the
Polish-Swedish war forced him to move to Legnica, where
he died in
1675.
He Published among other:
Historiae
naturalis de quadrupedibus libri, cum aeneis figuris, Johannes Jonstonus,…
concinnavit
(J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1657).
Historiae
naturalis de insectis libri II, de serpentibus et draconibus libri II, cum
aeneis figuris, Joh. Jonstonus,… concinnavit
(J. J. fil. Schipper, Amsterdam, 1657, reissued 1665).
Historiae
naturalis de insectis libri III, de serpentibus et draconibus libri II, cum
aeneis figuris, Joh. Jonstonus,… concinnavit
(deux parties en un volume, J. J. fil. Schipper, Amsterdam, 1657, reissued
1667).
Historiae
naturalis de exanguibus aquaticis libri IV, cum figuris aeneis, Joannes
Jonstonus,… concinnavit
(J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1657, reissued 1665).
Historiae
naturalis de piscibus et cetis libri V, cum aeneis figuris, Johannes Jonstonus,…
concinnavit
(J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1657).
Historiae
naturalis de avibus libri VI cum aeneis figuris Johannes Jonstonus,…
concinnavit
(J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1657).
A Description
of the Nature of Four-footed Beasts
(London, 1678). An English translation of Historiae naturalis de
quadripedibus, with 80 engraved illustrations.
Theatrum
universale omnium animalium, piscium, avium, quadrupedum, exanguium aquaticorum,
insectorum et angium
(R. & G. Weststenios, Amsterdam, 1718).
Description of the work.
We are pleased to offer a selection of prints from a reissue
by L.C. Desnos (1773-1774)
of the rare 1650 edition of Jonston’s works on birds
“Theatrum
Universale Omnium Animalium“.
The
Finely-executed
prints, after
Jonston’s drawings,
were engraved
by by Kaspar and Matthäus Merian
and
depict
parrots, peacocks songbirds and rare tropical species birds, as well as fabulous
birds such as the phoenix, harpy, and griffon.
Each Grand Folio print measure approximately 12”1/4
by 18”1/2
(31 by 47,0
cm).
The condition of these prints is very good, with characteristic
strong plate marks. There is no foxing on clean wonderful chained hand made
watermarked paper. Some marginal paper repair.
There is no
descriptive text.
These Prints are very scarce.
Bibliography Reference:
Nissen 484; Anker 238
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