Naturalist engraving reptile 1850 old botanical plate

Original antique engraving — Scientific Exploration of Algeria, 1850 Arthus Bertrand colored 37 X 28 cm botanical poster. Original plate extracted from the Scientific Exploration of Algeria during the years 1840, 1841, 1842 — Physical sciences, Zoology, Volume V: Natural history of reptiles and fish by Alphonse Guichenot. Paris, Arthus Bertrand, 1850. Folio format (37.0 X 28.1 cm). Engraving printed in color with a doll, then retouched and finished by hand — a technique characteristic of major French scientific works of the 19th century. This work, directed by an academic commission under the authority of the French government, constitutes one of the first systematic scientific explorations of North Africa. The zoological section dedicated to reptiles and fish, written by the naturalist Alphonse Guichenot, is now sought after by collectors of scientific books and natural history from the 19th century. Signs of aging as visible in the photo. Provenance: plate detached from a copy of the original work.