Albertus Seba. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities.
BNF| N° d'inventaire | 23737 |
| Format | 24 x 34 |
| Détails | 22 detachable plates, paperback. |
| Publication | Paris, 2021 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782717728644 |
Published in the 18th century, the catalog of Albertus Seba's cabinet of curiosities is one of the most valuable natural history works of its time, at the crossroads between art and science. 22 plates of mammals, birds, snakes, insects, corals, and even shells, skillfully arranged to form splendid decorative motifs... Albertus Seba's Cabinet of Natural Curiosities Albertus Seba (1665-1736) was a Dutch pharmacist living in Amsterdam whose fortune allowed him to build up an impressive collection of natural specimens that he decided to immortalize through a series of works, the Locupletissimi Rerum Naturalium Thesaurus, published between 1734 and 1765.
The Thesaurus comprises four volumes, each containing 446 hand-illustrated plates, representing all the natural objects in Seba's collection. Its publication reflects the era's enthusiasm for natural science and the taste for the exotic and curious objects - Seba's first collection would later be acquired by Tsar Peter of Russia! A sort of inventory of nature, a tribute to the diversity of living things, the Thesaurus is an impressive example of naturalist illustration.
Here, the animals and plants are artfully arranged. While in the early volumes, natural objects are often arranged in small scenes, the plates in volumes two to four correspond more to a scientific presentation characteristic of the period. The animals are presented against a neutral background, carefully separated by gender. In his Thesaurus, Seba combines both scientific instruction and aesthetic pleasure by creating true tableaux of nature.
Thanks to the 22 detachable plates of this poster book, part of his marvelous collection, now dispersed, can be reconstituted and displayed: turtles, snakes, butterflies, beetles, sea urchins, starfish, octopuses, shells, skillfully staged to form splendid decorative motifs.
Published in the 18th century, the catalog of Albertus Seba's cabinet of curiosities is one of the most valuable natural history works of its time, at the crossroads between art and science. 22 plates of mammals, birds, snakes, insects, corals, and even shells, skillfully arranged to form splendid decorative motifs... Albertus Seba's Cabinet of Natural Curiosities Albertus Seba (1665-1736) was a Dutch pharmacist living in Amsterdam whose fortune allowed him to build up an impressive collection of natural specimens that he decided to immortalize through a series of works, the Locupletissimi Rerum Naturalium Thesaurus, published between 1734 and 1765.
The Thesaurus comprises four volumes, each containing 446 hand-illustrated plates, representing all the natural objects in Seba's collection. Its publication reflects the era's enthusiasm for natural science and the taste for the exotic and curious objects - Seba's first collection would later be acquired by Tsar Peter of Russia! A sort of inventory of nature, a tribute to the diversity of living things, the Thesaurus is an impressive example of naturalist illustration.
Here, the animals and plants are artfully arranged. While in the early volumes, natural objects are often arranged in small scenes, the plates in volumes two to four correspond more to a scientific presentation characteristic of the period. The animals are presented against a neutral background, carefully separated by gender. In his Thesaurus, Seba combines both scientific instruction and aesthetic pleasure by creating true tableaux of nature.
Thanks to the 22 detachable plates of this poster book, part of his marvelous collection, now dispersed, can be reconstituted and displayed: turtles, snakes, butterflies, beetles, sea urchins, starfish, octopuses, shells, skillfully staged to form splendid decorative motifs.