THE FOLIO SOCIETY

In 18th-century France, a pioneering work by Georges-Louis Leclerc, comte de Buffon, opened the eyes of readers to the beauty and diversity of the world’s birds. With more than 1,000 plates, it was a stunning tribute to the wonders of nature and an inspiration to Audubon, among others. Now, all of Buffon’s birds are published in a magnificent single volume for the first time.

Georges-Louis Leclerc, comte de Buffon, was a scientist, natural historian, mathematician and curator. A major figure of the Enlightenment, he was also the bestselling author of the 39-volume Histoire Naturelle. The 9 volumes on birds, which appeared between 1770 and 1783, caused a particular sensation, with even the Empress Catherine II of Russia requesting a copy. Published in a limited edition with hand-coloured plates, they were worth, literally, their weight in gold.

A sensation of its day

For most of its original readers, this was the first chance to see accurate, scientific reproductions of the birds of Europe, let alone exotic species from Asia, North America, Africa and Australia. For the engravings, Buffon commissioned François-Nicolas Martinet, a brilliant young artist known for his illustrations of scenes from plays and operas. Martinet worked, under Buffon’s guidance, from specimens that were sometimes merely skins, many damaged or decayed. This, combined with the fact that Martinet had never seen most of these birds in their natural habitat, makes the accuracy and delicate naturalism of his work truly astonishing.

‘The finest pen of his age’

Rousseau Buffon was praised by Rousseau as ‘the finest pen of his age’ and his elegant style is one of the book’s chief charms. He remarks of coots that ‘these indolent birds have deservedly many foes’. The heron, meanwhile, has a ‘native gloom’ – when captured, ‘it wears out its existence in complete apathy, without venting a complaint, or betraying the least symptom of tender regret.’ As for the peacock, ‘He is really sensible to admiration ... but the look of indifference chills his vivacity and makes him close his treasures.’

The first ever single-volume edition

This magnificent edition is the first to reproduce all of the bird plates – over 1,000 in number – together with selections from Buffon’s text. With an engaging and informative new introduction by Stéphane Schmitt, editor of Buffon’s collected works, this book is a monument both to the wonder of nature and to the science of the Enlightenment. Produced by fine art publishers Rizzoli, it is available to Folio Society members at a significant discount on the published price.