Indian Elephant & Calf, 1780 Print By French Engraver Georges Buffon
This is another of Buffon’s 18th century engraving of an Indian Elephant and calf. See the other one, The Female Elephant, 1808 Antique Print By Georges Buffon. The title in French reads “Le Petit Elephant tetant sa Mere” or translated it is “The Little Elephant suckling his mother.”
The 17th century was the age of discovery of new lands and exotic animals indigenous to the land. Likewise was the case with the Portuguese colonialist,when they first saw the elephant in Calicut, they were completely speechless. They had never seen something so exotic an animal, a giant with a trunk. The Frenchman Buffon’s exotic animal illustrations were incomparable at the time.
Although he never visited India but sketched on verbal description of the elephant and other animals. Histoire Naturelle was Georges Buffon’s work in an encyclopedic collection of copperplate engravings. The venture of making engravings were made on hand-made paper with scientific descriptions. The production was a huge success, mainly the wealthy bought his works.
See post 1808 Indian Elephant Antique Print From Buffon. Read more Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon.
Did you know- the French-born Georges Buffon (1707 – 1778) was not only a naturalist but also a mathematician, cosmologist (branch of philosophy), encyclopedist (contributor to an encyclopedia), and artist.
From the collection- 1964 M. Suriyamoorthy Charcoal Art Abstract (#1)., Antique Photo Esplanade / China Bazaar Road Madras 1900., Old Postcard – Cameron Highlanders Regiment Bangalore 1911
