Descrizione

[Paris], Regnault, [1775]. Single sheet (26.6 x 18.7 cm). Engraved and finely hand-coloured plate with printed caption. = A very rare illustration of a guinea pig with one head and two bodies, owned by a certain Mr Cotelle in Paris. Engraved by the French engraver Geneviève de Nangis (1746-1802) after a drawing by her husband, the French naturalist, engraver and publisher Nicolas François Regnault (1746-1810). This plate - numbered 2 - belongs to a suite of ten plates forming a first series of illustrations on teratological mammals. This suite was recorded in May 1775 as being published earlier in that year, apparently with a temporary title, Jeux de la nature ou recueil des monstres (see: Affiches, Annonces, et Avis Divers 18, p. 71). In total, 40 plates were printed. All are very rare. There are no auction records whatsoever. Right edge a bit uneven, slight staining at the lower edge, otherwise very good, clean and well-coloured. Brunet IV, p. 1187. Neither in Cat. BM(NH) nor in Nissen.