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AJ | GILDED 1789 Dolphin Anatomy Copper Engraving Cétologie · Plate 9 · Encyclopédie méthodique
This original 1789 engraving comes from the Cétologie section of Panckoucke’s Encyclopédie méthodique, edited by French naturalist Pierre Joseph Bonnaterre (1752–1804). The publication approached cetaceans through systematic description and anatomy rather than simple animal portraiture, pairing its scientific text with engraved plates produced under the direction of Robert Bénard (1734–1794). Plate 9, Anatomie du Dauphin, belongs to that broader Enlightenment effort to make the structure of whales and dolphins visible, comparable, and classifiable.
The image was produced as a copperplate engraving, an intaglio process in which lines are cut directly into a polished copper plate with engraving tools. Ink is worked into those recessed lines, the plate surface is wiped clean, and damp, substantial hand-laid paper is pressed against it under heavy pressure, leaving the slight natural undulation visible in the sheet. The process allowed for extremely fine linework, crosshatching, and anatomical detail, making copper engraving particularly well suited to eighteenth-century scientific illustration.
Catalog Details Title Anatomie du Dauphin, Plate 9 Date 1789 Publication Encyclopédie méthodique: Cétologie Naturalist / Editor Pierre Joseph Bonnaterre Plate Direction Robert Bénard · “Benard Direxit” in plate Technique Copperplate engraving on hand-laid paper Sheet Size 8 × 11 in. Condition Very Good antique condition with overall age toning, natural waviness to the hand-laid paper, and minor marginal wear. Archival Presentation This artwork is sold loose, unmatted, and unframed. Custom archival matting and framing may be arranged for an additional charge. Please message before purchase for available sizes, colors, and pricing. Sourcing & Preservation This is an original antique work from the published source, not a modern reproduction. AJ | Gilded is preservation-first and does not dismantle intact books. Works on paper are sourced as already-separated material, from incomplete or damaged volumes, or from prior collections. AJ | GILDED THOUGHTFULLY CURATED | TIMELESS AESTHETIC | ARCHIVAL TECHNIQUE
