Famous work on birds in the Netherlands, with 250 hand-coloured plates 1770

Cornelis Nozeman

ConditionExcellent
Currently unavailable via Gallerease

• About the artwork
  NOZEMAN, Cornelius, Martinus HOUTTUYN and Jan Christiaan SEPP.
  Nederlandsche vogelen; volgens hunne huishouding, aert, en eigenschappen beschreeven.
  Amsterdam, Jan Christiaan Sepp (volumes III-V: and son), 1770-1829. 5 volumes. Imperial folio (52 x 35.5 cm). With hand-coloured engraved title-page to each volume, 250 hand-coloured copper-engraved plates (50 in each volume), and some woodcut tailpieces. Contemporary half calf, gold-tooled spine.
  
  First edition of a famous and beautifully illustrated ornithological work, one of the most important works on birds in the Netherlands. The text was written by the Dutch remonstrant preacher and naturalist Cornelis Nozeman (1720-1786), and after his death continued by the naturalist Martinus Houttuyn (1720-1798). As the title suggests, the work is restricted to native Dutch birds, which are depicted in 250 hand-coloured engravings. They show a wide variety of birds, including waterfowl, poultry, birds of prey, songbirds etc., mostly shown in their natural surroundings and sometimes accompanied by their nests and/or eggs. Nozeman starts his descriptions with information from earlier sources, followed by the bird's appearance, characteristics and way of living, partly based on his own observations, occasionally even mentioning the taste of the bird. The engravings were made by Jan Christaan Sepp (1739-1811). After his death the last two volumes were finished by his son Jan Sepp (1778-1853), probably accompanied by the zoologist C.J. Temminck. The work was published in instalments of 5 or 6 and later 4 plates a year, starting in 1770 and completed in 1829 and therefor took over 59 years. Because of this long period, complete copies of these series are rather rare.
  In very good condition and only slightly trimmed, with only the tissue guards slightly foxed. Bindings restored along the extremities and with the corners bumped, otherwise good.
  Zimmer, pp. 469-470; Fine Bird Books, p. 98; Landwehr, Coloured plates 145.
• About the artist
  Cornelius Nozeman was a Dutch Remonstrant churchman and Naturalist. Starting in 1770, his work on ‘Nederlandsche Vogelen’ (Birds of the Netherlands) was published in instalments by Christaan Sepp. This work was the first encyclopaedic book of the birds of the Netherlands.