Jean-Baptiste Audebert

watercolour and bodycolour on laid paper

With Kyburg Ltd., London

Le Mongous: hinged to the mount at the left margin. There is a horizontal crease running across the sheet. Sheet has uneven edges, there are several small tears along the right margin. There is a green stain located in the upper section of the sheet, possibly gouache stain. The sheet has yellowed somewhat. Gouache remains fresh and vibrant.. Le Vari: hinged to the mount at the upper margin. Uneven edges of sheet with small nicks and tears around the edges. A small brown stain located above the animal's back. A horizontal crease running along the upper section of the sheet. Slight discolouration. Otherwise gouache remains fresh and vibrant. Both sold in black and gilt frames.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Jean-Bapiste Audebert was a French artist and naturalist.  Originally from Rochefort in France, he travelled to Paris where he honed his skills in the field of drawing and painting and soon gained a considerable reputation as a miniature-painter.   Audebert worked alongside Guillaume-Antoine Olivier (1756-1814), a French entomologist, assisting him in preparing the plates for the Histoire des Cloporte. It was during these formative years of training that Audebert acquired a taste for Natural History.

The present drawings are presumably preparatory studies relating to the seminal natural history publication, Histoire Naturelle de Singes et des Makis (Paris, 1800).  The text of this book was written by Audebert, a member of the Société d’Histoire Naturelle de Paris, who also engraved the illustrations after his own drawings.   The engravings for the final publication are all reproduced in the same direction with titles in French and Latin identifying the species illustrated.  The two drawings offered here appear to provide the basis for Makis, pl. 1(Le Mongous) and Makis, pl. 5 (Le Vari).