Lot description
KNORR, Georg Wolfgang (1705-1761). Les délices des yeux et de l'esprit, ou collection générale des différentes espèces de coquillages que la mer renferme. Nuremberg: 1764-1765-1768-1770-1771-1773. One of the most beautiful books of the 18th century devoted to seashells. Knorr one of the main palaeontologists of the 18th century. A native of Nuremberg, he was apprenticed to Leonhard Blanc as a copper engraver. His first published illustrations appeared in Jacob Scheuchzer's Physica Sacra (1731), which prompted him to take an interest in natural history. Knorr then developed his knowledge with the help of Christoph Jakob Trew (1695-1769), owner of a menagerie and a natural history cabinet. Trew had surrounded himself with a group of scientists, artists and printmakers, who made Nuremberg one of the most important centres for publishing natural history books in the 18th century. Nissen ZBI, 2235. 6 parts in 3 volumes, quarto (250 x 198mm). Letterpress title in vol. I dated 1764, sometimes found in a few copies. 6 engraved titles and 190 plates, all coloured by a contemporary hand (occasional faint and insignificant browning). Contemporary catspaw calf, covers with gilt borders, gilt spines, turns-ins and edges, marbled endpapers. (6)