117 Jacques de Sève (active 1742–1788) – Zebras – Copperplate Engraving by Charles Baquoy from Histoire Naturelle by Buffon (Late 18th Century)

This copperplate engraving depicting two zebras — one standing and one reclining — is taken from Histoire Naturelle, Générale et Particulière, the monumental zoological series by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. The plate, marked Tome XII, Pl. II, was drawn by Jacques de Sève and engraved by Charles Baquoy, both of whom were principal illustrators in Buffon’s project. Rendered with exceptional anatomical clarity and elegance, the image captures the distinctive striping and noble posture of the zebra, set against a stylized savanna landscape. This work exemplifies the Enlightenment’s fusion of scientific accuracy with classical artistic sensibility.