La nature & diversité des poissons.

early renaissance naturalism

First French language edition of Belon's 1553 De aquatilibus, an important early ichthyological treatise illustrated with 192 elegant woodcuts. A lovely copy in handsome burgundy morocco.

The French apothecary and traveller Pierre Belon (1517-1564) was an admirer of Aristotle, and undertook to make his own observations of nature, particularly fish and birds. His woodcuts 'are simple but accurate, allowing historians of ichthyology to identify most of them right down to the species. That would not be the case for any other book on animals published before 1550' (Ashworth, Pierre Belon Part II, Linda Hall Library, March 29, 2024). In addition to a wide variety of fish, Belon describes and illustrates cephalopods, shells, marine mammals such as dolphins and orcas (including the observation that they birthed live young), as well as other creatures that feed on fish, like the otter, crocodile, and even a chameleon. The book itself is in a charming oblong format, perfectly suited to the subject.

'Belon took pride in the fact that most of his images were drawn from life, and he stated this fact right in the title. His woodcut of the sole, with its two eyes looking right at you, was original with this book, as was the wonderful paper nautilus, sailing along on the high seas. It is not surprising that when Gesner later published the volume on aquatic animals for his natural history, he borrowed freely (and with full credit) from Belon's works' (Ashworth, The Grandeur of Life, Linda Hall Library, 2009).

First French language edition; landscape 8vo (10.4 x 15cm); 192 woodcuts within the text, contents unobtrusively washed, title skilfully repaired with a few letters supplied in ink, leaves b8, d1, d4, d8, e2, e7, f2, f7, h1, h6, i8, and u6, professionally remargined at the upper edge, slightly touching the page numbers 63 and 123; 19th-century burgundy morocco, spine gilt in compartments, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, binding lightly rubbed at the tips with some dulled areas on the upper board, a very good copy; 448pp.

Nissen ZBI 303.