Birds of the Nile: J. Cés. Savigny's Grand Egyptian Survey

Object: Engraving of the Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)
Artist (Image Creation): J. Cés. Savigny
Engraver: Bouquet Snr.
Publication: Description de l'Égypte
Date: Published 1809–1813 (based on expedition work from 1798–1801)

Medium: Stipple Engraving on Paper (from Histoire Naturelle - Oiseaux, Plate 12)
Dimensions: Height: 32 3/4 inches x 25 1/4 inches.

This magnificent large-format stipple engraving depicts the Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), a species revered throughout Egyptian history. The image was created by the French zoologist J. Cés. Savigny during Napoleon's scientific expedition and meticulously engraved by Bouquet Snr. The eagle is shown in a proud, alert posture, its detailed plumage rendered with the precision required for scientific illustration, yet with the grandeur of a museum-quality print.

Historical Context: The Description de l'Égypte

This print is a key component of the Description de l'Égypte, the seminal publication commissioned by the French government to document the findings of Napoleon's 1798–1801 military and scientific campaign. This multi-volume work was the first comprehensive illustrated description of ancient and modern Egypt, fundamentally shaping European Egyptology and Neoclassical taste.

The project involved approximately 160 civilian scholars and scientists, known as savants, who meticulously recorded everything from ancient monuments to flora and fauna. This particular plate belongs to the Histoire Naturelle section and carries profound symbolic weight: the Eastern Imperial Eagle was the species whose image was used on the coins of the Ptolemies and was sometimes associated with the goddess Hathor. Thus, the plate serves as a crucial bridge between natural history, ancient symbology, and 19th-century European science.

Details and References

Inscriptions: Upper Left: N.H. Zoologie Oiseau par J. Ces Savigny. Upper Right: Pl 12. Lower Right: Bouquet Snr.

References:

Description de l'Égypte (Original Publication): The definitive source for the print's context and series.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Bibliothèque Nationale de France: Hold major collections of the original copper plates and bound volumes.

Solé, Robert. Les savants de Bonaparte (Provides context on the scholars, like Savigny, who participated in the expedition).

(Ref: NY7284-lmr)


Condition:
Alterations: Original Condition Unaltered
Imperfections: Some Imperfections
Condition Notes: Good

Origin:
France

Materials & Techniques:
Engraving, Paper

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Original Condition Unaltered; Some Imperfections; Good