Conrad Gessner - Two large hand-coloured folio woodcuts De Avibus / Historiae Animalium - 1555

Conrad Gessner (1516-1565) / Lucas Schan (1526-1558)

1.
recto: De Buteone, showing the common buzzard (buteo buteo / Mäusebussard)
verso: text

2.
recto: De Fringillas, showing the common chaffinch (fringilla coelebs / Buchfink)
verso: probably showing the white-winged snowfinch (montifringilla nivalis, Schneesperrling)

Two folios from the De Avibus part of Gessners Histaoriae Animalium 1555, first print, a work the most widely read of all the Renaissance natural histories. Gessners monumental work attempts to build a connection between the ancient knowledge of the animal world and Renaissance science. It is based on Hebrew, Greek and Latin sources. Because of Gessners protestant affinities, Pope Paul IV deemed the book heretical and the book was added to the Church's list of prohibited books, the famous Index.

Lucas Schan is the only artist named by Gessner; he painted most of the bird illustrations for his bird volume, together by Gessner's account with some descriptive text.

Further reading: Springer K., Kinzelbach R. (2009) Die Illustrationen im Vergleich. In: Das Vogelbuch von Conrad Gessner (1516-1565)

The buteo buteo / buzzard folio has some slight damage in the upper section of the folio, at the bird's head & neck. See photos. Condition otherwise as shown in the pictures.