55 Conrad Gessner - Historia animalium - Hand-coloured Woodcut - Rock Sandpiper - Calidris ptilocnemis

This hand-coloured woodcut originates from ”Historia animalium” ("History of the Animals"), published in Zurich in 1551–1558 and 1587, is an encyclopedic "inventory of renaissance zoology" by Conrad Gessner (1516–1565). This Gessner’s ’work is considered the start of modern zoology in the West and it was the most widely read of all the Renaissance natural history books. The illustrations in 'Historia animalium' are very naturalistic compared to those found in Medieval bestiaries and printed copies of the Physiologus. Place and year of publication: Zurich, Switzerland, 1617.

Conrad Gessner (1516-1565) was a Swiss naturalist and bibliographer known for his significant contributions to the fields of zoology and botany. He was a pioneer in creating detailed classifications of animals and plants, which laid the foundation for modern taxonomy.

Artist of Maker

Conrad Gessner

Medium

Hand-coloured Woodcut

Date

1617