Buffon’s "Histoire Naturelle" is considered one of the most comprehensive and most famous natural histories ever printed.

The present 38 volumes contain 1138 full-page detailed copper engraved tables, numerous engraved figural vignettes, 4 maps and an engraved portrait of the author. All engravings are splendidly coloured by hand.

Most of the tables depict domestic and exotic animals with their subspecies in natural surrounding. Moreover there are several anatomical illustrations. All tables showing animals are titled.
The illustrations have been carried out by leading engravers of the time, mostly after drawn masters by Buffon.

The present edition is bound in half calf leather of the time. All volumes are decorated by a colourful dotted cut.

"Histoire Naturelle" is Buffon’s main work which became widely read throughout Europe soon after its publication from 1749 on. It was translated into many languages and became reprinted several times.

Besides his research on birds, other egg laying animals and quadrupeds, Buffon also dedicated himself to geology and the human.
Especially Buffon’s treatises on birds became highly appreciated. His "Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux", which was also published separately is a milestone of ornithology being considered up to today one of the most comprehensive and most important illustrated ornithological works. In the present edition 9 volumes are dedicated to birds.

"Histoire Naturelle" features the idea of an evolutionary development of all creatures and the consideration of nature as a all-including organism. Unlike other works of the time, Buffon`s work was not written from the viewpoint of a specialised scientist.
Hence it is a comprehensive work on cosmology, geomorphology, mineralogy, zoology and botany.

Another remarkable idea of the work is Buffon`s estimation of the age of the world being 75,000 years. Suggesting this, he opposed to the history of creation calling into question the upper limit of 6000 years as it had been calculated by theologists.

Besides Buffon 2 other important French natural scientists were involved in the creation of "Histoire Naturelle". Louis Jean-Marie Daubenton (* 1716 - † 1799 in Paris) contributed anatomical parts for several volumes which form an important component for the whole work in scientific respect.
After Buffon`s death, Bernard Germain de La Cépède (* 1756 - † 1825) added 2 volumes to the work dealing with reptiles and snakes.

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (September 7, 1707 – April 16, 1788) was a French naturalist, mathematician, biologist and author.

He was the son of a wealthy judge at the Parlement of Dijon. At first, Buffon studied law and medicine. On an educational journey through France and Italy (about 1728) he developed an interest for natural history. Hence he began to study mathematics, physics and botany at London. There he became influenced by the writings of Isaac Newton which he translated into French after his return.

From about 1730 on, Buffon worked as private scholar first dealing with physics and probability calculation, however later turning to natural history completely.

Buffon became director of the Royal Botanical Garden Jardin du Roi (later Jardin des Plantes) in Paris from 1739. During his period in charge he converted it from the King's garden to a research centre and museum, and the park was considerably enlarged, with the addition of many trees and plants from around the world.

Buffon’s theory of a stepwise evolution of creatures had a strong influence on the natural science of his time and up into the 19th century. Natural scientists such as Jean Baptiste Lamarck and Charles Darwin were affected by Buffon’s ideas.

The main work of Buffon is the Natural History (Histoire naturelle générale et particulière) offered by us here which he wrote together with Louis Jean-Marie Daubenton (* 1716 - † 1799). Its 44 volumes were published starting in 1749. The work was widely translated and read throughout Europe.