(Palm) Histoire Universelle... Paris, 1774-89. $350.00

Pierre Joseph Buchoz (1731-1807) - also spelled Buc'hoz - studied law and medicine to become the Physician in the Ordinary to Stanislaus, King of Poland.  He was a man of wide ranging interests including botany, mineralogy, medicine, agriculture and ornithology.  He was not an artist, rather he published many books on these subjects "borrowing" illustrations and texts from a variety of sources. The composition and quality of his prints, however, are comparable to the best natural history works of the period. Indeed, Buchoz was a member of academies in France and Europe and his Histoire Universelle du Règne Végétal (1774-1780) earned the approval of the Academy of Science..

The coconuts, berries, and other fruits of the trees are illustrated in fine detail, as well as their root systems and stages of growth. The compositions and content vary from scientifically based details of tree parts to a man climbing the trunk of a tree to retrieve coconuts.

Hand colored engraving.
9 5/8 x 15 ½ inches sheet-
12 1/2 x 7 3/4 inches, plate mark