1. Merle cendre, d'Amerique 2. Merle a cravate, de Cayenne

Martinet, François Nicolas, 1731- · [ca. 1770]

François Nicolas Martinet (1725-1804), a French artist living during the late Enlightenment Era, blends science with art in his numerous works. His passion for ornithology led him to collaborate with several notable natural historians, including Georges-Louis Leclerc, Count of Buffon. Martinet created a total of one thousand eight prints for Buffon's extensive Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux, from which the plates in this collection derive. Depicting birds in their natural habitats, the plates began as copperplate engravings and later received color from an unknown colorist, possibly Martinet himself. These avian prints emphasize scientific accuracy and natural beauty. Martinet juxtaposes two birds in his print 1. Merle cendre, d'Amerique 2. Merle a cravate, de Cayenne. Published between 1770 and 1786 as plate five hundred sixty for Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux, the print, like roughly one-fifth of Martinet's plates, portrays more than one bird. The description of figure one translates to an American blackbird, though its common name is instead the Red-legged thrush; Buffon labeled figure two the Cravated blackbird of Cayenne, though its common name is the Ferruginous-backed Antbird. Martinet infuses the piece with naturalism by placing the birds atop a branch indicative of their habitats, and rendering both specimen in lifelike poses. The paralleled forms of the birds, though mirrored, create a dynamic composition. Extensive hatching creates palpable texture and believable form. A watercolor finish enhances the values and vibrancy of stunning Martinet's naturalist study.