Jacques Barraband – Toucans, Le Toco No. 2 & Le Tocan No. 3, 1801–1806

Two Original Hand-Colored Toucans from Levaillant's Histoire naturelle

Jacques Barraband (1767/1768–1809), artist
Jacques Louis Perée, engraver
Original stipple engravings with exceptionally fine original hand coloring
Grand folio

From:

François Levaillant, Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de paradis et des rolliers, suivie de celle des toucans et des barbus
Paris, 1801–1806

These magnificent large-format plates depict two species of toucan, illustrated after the original paintings of the celebrated French natural-history artist Jacques Barraband. They are outstanding examples of the extraordinary level of engraving and hand coloring achieved in the great natural-history publications of the early 19th century.

Le Toco N. 2

Stipple engraving by Jacques Louis Perée
After the painting by Jacques Barraband (1767/1768–1809)

This exceptionally large plate is distinguished by its superb original hand coloring, which remains remarkably fresh and luminous. Barraband's finely observed rendering of the toucan, combined with Perée's delicate stipple engraving, produces an image of extraordinary detail and visual richness.

Size: 59.7 × 41 cm (23.5 × 16.1 in.)

Le Tocan No. 3

Stipple engraving by Jacques Louis Perée
After the painting by Jacques Barraband (1767/1768–1809)

Like Le Toco No. 2, this is an impressive Grand Folio plate with exceptionally fine original hand coloring. The colors remain vivid and beautifully preserved.

There are only very minor traces of age and use. A faint impression from the bird on the facing page of the original book is visible in the paper, a minor production/storage characteristic that does not detract from the image.

Size: 59.7 × 41 cm (23.5 × 16.1 in.)

Barraband, Perée & Levaillant

François Levaillant's ornithological publications were among the most ambitious illustrated natural-history works produced in France around the turn of the 19th century. His books were particularly celebrated for their large, beautifully colored plates.

The illustrations were based on the work of Jacques Barraband, whose bird paintings are renowned for their combination of scientific observation and artistic elegance. Barraband's designs were translated into print by skilled engravers such as Jacques Louis Perée, whose stipple technique allowed for unusually subtle tonal gradations.

The resulting plates are among the finest examples of French ornithological illustration of the early 19th century.

Exceptional Margins and Professional Restoration

Because the large toucan bills and tails extend close to the edges of the original sheets, the margins of both prints have been professionally extended.

A specialized paper-restoration technique known as paper fibrillation was used to create and intermesh new paper fibers with the original sheet. This produces a gradual, virtually invisible transition between the original paper and the added margin rather than a conventional straight paper strip.

The enlarged sheets were subsequently laid down on very thin China paper, providing additional support while preserving the impressive scale of these Grand Folio plates.

The result is a pair of unusually attractive, large-format natural-history prints with generous presentation margins and exceptionally fine original hand coloring.

Condition

Very good overall condition.

Both plates retain their original hand coloring, which is particularly fine and beautifully preserved. The prints show only minor evidence of age and use. The professionally extended margins provide an attractive presentation while supporting the original sheets.

Sheet size: approximately 59.7 × 41 cm (23.5 × 16.1 in.)

Why These Plates Are Important

Barraband's illustrations for Levaillant rank among the great achievements of French ornithological art. The combination of enormous Grand Folio scale, sophisticated stipple engraving, and exceptionally refined original hand coloring makes these plates particularly desirable to collectors of ornithological prints, natural-history illustration, Jacques Barraband, François Levaillant, and early 19th-century French prints.

The toucan subjects are especially effective compositions, with their brilliantly colored plumage and extraordinarily distinctive bills occupying the large sheets to dramatic effect.