Zoological Illustrations by Cuvier and Saint-Hilaire

Cuvier and Saint-Hilaire

 Mandrill Male

Lithograph

20"x13"

The works from Histoire Naturelle Des Mammiferes, Avec Les figures Originales.d'aprs Des Animaux Vivians, 1824-42 was crafted by a friendship that introduced the French zoological and natural history community with the finest illustrations of exotic mammals. These lithographs captured the movement and personality of the animal while depicting scientifically accurate compositions. Similar innovation as to the design and depiction of mammals could be compared to the works of acclaimed American ornithologist John James Audubon (1785-1851).

Frederic Cuvier (1769-1832) was a French zoologist and paleontologist who worked for the Museum d'histoire Naturelles in Paris, while  Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1772-1844) was a French naturalist and evolutionary theorist. The two met in 1794 and formed a close friendship shortly after. This friendship lead to the creation of a great feet, the production of Five memoirs on natural history, one of which was a study on the classification of mammals. 

Cuvier and Saint-Hilaire

Renard Argente

Lithograph

18"x12"

The original publication of  Histoire Naturelle Des Mammiferes, Avec Les figures Originales.d'aprs Des Animaux Vivians was intended to have 72 parts to be bound in 7 volumes. This publication was made in conjunction with the Museum d'Histoire Naturelles in Paris. Most of the animals were drawn from life at the Paris Zoo Jardin de Plantes. Cuvier provided descriptions for each mammal while Hilaire edited the work and  provided additional articles.  

Cuvier and Saint-Hilaire

Kiodote

Lithograph

20"x13"

For purchase inquiries please call 415-788-5115, or feel free to stop by Arader Galleries, at 435 Jackson Street, San Francisco. 

Impressionism Masterpieces

The Magpie
Claude Monet
1869
Oil on canvas

Arader Galleries had the privilege to visit the De Young Museum in San Francisco and view the wonderful exhibition “Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay”. The collection includes masterpieces by influential artists including Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Gustave Calliebotte and more.

Impressionism was an art movement stemming from Paris, France in the 19^th century and is characterized by painting with visible brushstrokes, opening the composition, moving away from fixed lines and creating a natural lightness on the canvas. Throughout the exhibition, viewers are treated to an array of interpretations of the style of impressionism and receive a broad education in the differences among these revolutionary artists.

Highlights of the show include Edouard Manet’s The Fife Player (1866), The Dancing Lesson (1873-76) by Edgar Degas and Saint-Lazare Station (1877) by Calude Monet, each a staple in the teachings of art history. Each of these almost 100 brilliant masterpieces are sure to be enjoyed by all, as the exhibition is open through September 6, 2010, and is followed by a post-Impressionism exhibition at the De Young Museum from September 21, 2010 - January 18, 2011.