Le Jardin des Plantes

the work

Le Jardin des Plantes

"The Botanical Garden" is a collection of vintage illustrations of plants, butterflies, and birds by 19th-century French naturalist and illustrator Paul Gervais (1816-1879) and publisher L. Coulmer (Henri Léon) . We've digitally restored the beautiful hand-colored plates of flowers, animals, and nature from the original 1842 edition .

Paul Gervais Biography

• Born on September 26, 1816 in Paris, France.
• He worked as a naturalist, anatomist, and paleontologist.
• He works at the Jardin des Plantes and is a professor of zoology.
• He has written many scientific papers and books, and has also produced numerous scientific illustrations.
• He died in Paris on February 10, 1879 (aged 62).

Representative works

• Illustrations for Le Jardin des Plantes (1842)
• Illustrations for "The Natural History of the Animal Kingdom"

Characteristics and influence of this book

"Jardin des Plantes" is a beautiful collection of illustrations depicting the diverse flora and fauna of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, drawn with Gervais's keen observational eye and delicate brushwork. The vivid figures of flowers, butterflies, birds, and other creatures are rendered even more attractive by the hand-coloring.

These illustrations reflected the growing interest in natural science at the time and contributed to the popularization of natural history. They are also highly regarded by art lovers for their artistic excellence .

Gervais was not only a scientist , but also an artist with a keen observational and descriptive eye, whose works convey the beauty and diversity of the natural world and remind us of our awe of it.