Ursus
Gesner, Konrad, 1516-1565
Hand colored woodcut on FINE FOLIO LEAF.
Zürich, 1563.
Leaf: ca 22 x 34 cm. On fine laid paper, much superior to later editions.
From the extremely rare and very sought after first edition of the 'Thierbuch'. The colored woodcut illustrations were the first real attempts to represent animals in their natural environment.
Gesner employed artists and drew upon existing woodcuts in circulation to illustrate the encyclopedic work and it is thought that Gesner himself produced drawings of specimens from his own collections. Gessner acknowledges one of his main illustrators was Lucas Schan (active 1526–1558).
Later hand coloured.
Old repair to lower and upper margin covering clean tear (no loss); some staining and spotting commensurate with age. Please view images carefully. Extremely rare.
