Antique 18th C. Hand-Colored Bird Engraving by F.N. Martinet - Philippine Thrushes

This striking antique engraving is a genuine 18th-century copper plate print, hand-colored and preserved in a clean, modern frame. The work is signed in the plate by the renowned French engraver and naturalist François-Nicolas Martinet (1731–1800), who is most famous for illustrating the works of Brisson and Buffon, the preeminent ornithologists of the 1700s. Based on the markings "Tom. II Pl. XXVI" (Volume 2, Plate 26), this plate likely originates from Mathurin Jacques Brisson's Ornithologie, published in Paris circa 1760.

The image features two distinct avian specimens identified in French: "1. Merle des Philippines" and "2. Merle chauve des Philippines" (The Bald Thrush of the Philippines). The birds are rendered with the precise, scientific detail characteristic of Martinet's work, capturing the texture of the feathers and the birds' lively postures. The print displays original hand-coloring in muted earth tones, blues, and browns that have softened beautifully over the last 250+ years.

The artwork is housed in a contemporary black wooden frame with a gold inner lip, offering a sophisticated contrast that bridges the gap between the antique subject matter and modern interior styles. The print itself is in honest antique condition; it features visible vertical fold lines (creases), which are historic artifacts indicating where the print was originally folded to fit into the book binding. There is also mild wrinkling, age-toning, and foxing to the paper, which serves as a testament to its authenticity and age.

Measurements (approximate - rounded to the nearest quarter inch):
25 inches in width
19.25 inches in height
1 inch in depth

All sales are final so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions prior to purchase. Other objects found in the listing photos are for decorative use only and not included in this purchase.

VINTAGE & ANTIQUE
Vintage and antique items are pre-owned and aged goods. In most cases, we do not clean or polish any items that come into our shop. Once you remove an item's traces of age and patina it's not something you can reverse, so we leave those activities up to the buyer. We do not disassemble found art from their frames unless it is necessary to differentiate a print from an original piece of art. Vintage prints purchased from this shop could originate from any print media (e.g., magazines, books, photographs, art prints, etc.). We try our best to describe items accurately and disclose any and all flaws and imperfections. Please refer to pictures as a visual description. We want to make sure you are happy with your purchase so, please do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have prior to checkout.

SHIPPING
As much as possible, we utilize recycled shipping boxes. The box you receive your item in may show signs of wear and pre-use.

PHOTOGRAPHY
All photos are taken in natural light and we do not use any photo filters and do not perform and photo editing (other than basic photo cropping). Depending on your monitor settings, there may be subtle differences in color once you see your item in person.