François Levaillant

From 1801-1806 François Levaillant and Jacques Barraband collaborated on important natural history works: ‘Histoire Naturelle des Perroquets’ , and on the book ‘Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de paradis et des rolliers: suivie de celle des toucans et des barbus’.

François Levaillant (1753-1824) was a pioneering naturalist, an intrepid traveller and famous author. He was a celebrity in his own lifetime. His sumptuous bird books, highly sought after collectors’ items, were published in a golden age of French natural history book production.

Print artist Jacques Barraband (1767-1809) is considered the foremost ornithological artist in nineteenth-century France. He was admired for his ability to bring his subjects to life through conveying the texture of the feathers and the vivid coloration of the birds.