Search By Artist
Cornelius Nozeman (17121786)
Cornelius Nozeman (17121786), Martinus Houttuyn (1720-1798), and Jan Christiaan Sepp (1739-1811)
From Nederlandsche Vogelen; volgens hunne huisdouding, aert, en eigenschappen beschreeven
Engravings with original hand-coloring.
Amsterdam: Jan Christian Sepp, 1770-1829.
Cornelius Nozeman’s Nederlandsche Vogelen was the first comprehensive account of the avifauna of Holland. Published in five parts between 1770 and 1829 by the Sepp family, the volume’s 250 plates depict 192 species of bird found in North and South Holland in the late eighteenth century. Nederlandsche Vogelen was published over a long period of time, and Nozeman died before the second part was even published, leaving physician Martinus Houttuyn as his successor.
According to the title, all of the species have been “drawn as they are in life”, and many were depicted in their true size where possible. The plates frequently feature eggs and nests, and a few are dedicated exclusively to those subjects. Jean Anker's definitive catalogue of bird books praises the Nozeman publication for depicting the birds “in their natural surroundings and as far as possible in their natural attitudes”. Another major critic, Sacheverell Sitwell, calls Nederlandsche Vogelen “an ornament to the age of Rococo”.
