Nicolas Robert, the most famous Natural History painter of h - Lot 407

Nicolas Robert, the most famous Natural History painter of his time (he is the author of Julie's garland presented by the Duc de Montausier to Julie d'Agennes in 1641), is best known for the "vellums" in the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris. Commissioned by Gaston d'Orléans, brother of Louis XIII, to illustrate the plants he had collected in his Blois garden, the series of vellum prints was continued by Colbert. His contract specified that Robert was to paint 54 vellums a year, and that he would be paid extra for the others. He surrounded himself with a large studio and painted mainly animals, birds and plants for the Royal Garden in Paris and the Menagerie in Versailles. Other vellums appeared at the Jeanson sale in June 1988, mostly birds and occasionally flowers. Both Museum and Jeanson vellums are always surrounded by a light gold band, but unlike Museum vellums, Jeanson vellums often have a very finished landscape. It is often difficult to diversify the different artists in Robert's Atelier. Given the quality of our vellums, we think it could well be Nicolas Robert himself.