Jacques Barraband

Le Tocan (Toucan) by Jacques Barraband

Still life on porcelain by Jacques Barraband, 1797

Jacques Barraband (31 August 1767, Aubusson (Creuse), France–1 October 1809, Lyon) was a French zoological and botanical illustrator, renowned for his life-like renderings of tropical birds.

Biography

Barraband produced a series of watercolours of birds and flowers between 1801 and 1804 by direct commission of Napoleon Bonaparte. Among his most famous works are those he made to illustrate François Le Vaillant's scientific studies on parrots (perroquets), Birds of Paradise (oiseaux de paradis), rollers (rolliers), toucans (toucans), barbets (barbus), sugarbirds (promerops), bee-eaters (guêpiers), trogons (couroucous), and turacos (touracos).

Works illustrated by Barraband for Le Vaillant include:

• Histoire naturelle des perroquets, Paris Levrault, Schoell & Cie, An IX-XII (1801–1805), 2 volumes. vol. 1 [1], vol. 2 [2]
• Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de paradis et des rolliers, suivie de celles des toucans et des barbus, Paris, Denné le jeune & Perlet, (1801–1806), 2 volumes.
• Histoire naturelle des promérops et des guêpiers (et des couroucous et touracos, faisant suite à celle des oiseaux de paradis), Paris Levrault, (1806) 1807, (1816 ou 1818) 3 volumes.

Gallery

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  Le Coq de roche, mâle

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  Le Nébuleux étalant ses parures

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  Le petit Oiseau de paradis Emeraude, mâle

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  Aratinga solstitialis

References

• Audubon House Gallery of Natural History, Jacques Barraband (1767–1809)
• Robert Guinot (2002), Jacques Barraband : le peintre des oiseaux de Napoléon 1er, Paris: Guénégaud. pp. 191, ISBN 2-85023-114-2