Jacques Barraband (1767-1809) - Le Calao Toc - Buceros Hornbill - Original - Ornithology
Buceros erythrorhynchus, Print, Buceros is a genus of large Asian hornbills (family Bucerotidae).
From the First Large Paper Edition of Francois Levaillant's Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux d'Afrique.
Sheet: 47 x 31 cm
The beautiful etchings by Barraband were printed in color and finished by hand. C. M. Fessard and J. L. Peree after J. L. Reinold completed the coloring.
Levaillant's work "is one of the first works of the naturalists who travelled in order to see and study the birds in their proper environment" (Fine Bird Books, p. 13). "It gives a comprehensive account of the birds of South Africa, based on Levaillant's personal experiences and the collections he made during his journeys in that region. The style of the text is lively, and it gives descriptions not only of the names of the birds, but also of their habits and habitats" (Anker).
Jacques Barraband (or Pierre-Paul Barraband) (1767? (baptized 1768), Aubusson (Creuse), France–1 October 1809, Lyon) was a French zoological and botanical illustrator, renowned for his lifelike renderings of tropical birds. His pictures were based on mounted specimens and his illustration was considered the most accurate ones made during the early 1800s.