Dezallier D'Argenville: Conchology/Shells [Hardcover]

Veronica Carpita (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2009

Antoine Joseph Dezallier d'Argenville (1680 1765) was so bewitched by seashells that he authored one of the world's most spectacular books dedicated to seashells. His La Conchyliologie ou Histoire Naturelle des Coquilles de Mer, d'Eau Douce, Terrestres et Fossiles, published at Paris in 1780, was a summa of contemporary knowledge in the complementary fields of mineralogy and conchology, and was so popular as to turn the study of natural history into a fad in Paris. A botanist and art lover, Dezallier drafted life-size drawings of the seashells, hand-coloring them in rococo style and even using a mirror to illustrate them to best effect. TASCHEN's complete reprint of these 80 splendid hand-colored copper engraved plates, distinguished by their vivid colors and vast selection of rare, beautiful species, is taken from one of the finest original copies

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Veronica Carpita studied art history at the University of Pisa and the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa. Her numerous publications focus on the great antiquarian and scientific collections of the early modern era, including Cassiano dal Pozzo's Museo Cartaceo, Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc's famous cabinet and the first systematic work of conchology, Agostino Scilla's La vana speculazione disingannata dal senso, published in Naples in 1670. Sophia Willmann studied biology in Gottingen. In 2007 she took part in whale research at the Port Elizabeth Museum in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. In addition to numerous publications on marine biology, she is also author of children books.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Taschen; Mul edition (July 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3836511118
• ISBN-13: 978-3836511117
• Product Dimensions: 13.6 x 10.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #125,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Seashells
  • #50 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Oceans & Seas > Oceanography
  • #77 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Ecosystems

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dull Reproduction Quality - Not the Best Original Copy, February 20, 2010

By 

Muir Beach "Muir Beach" (Dry Creek Valley, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dezallier D'Argenville: Conchology/Shells (Hardcover)

I looked forward to receiving this book based on the earlier reviews. I returned my copy on receipt. I am a former collector of antique prints - and these were not plates that I would have purchased for my gallery or collection. The quality of water color work of the original plates is not very detailed or interesting. Then beyond this - the actual reproduction and print quality of the book was dull, the black ink overall was printed too heavily and this further dulled the color of the plates, making the reproduction of the original paper dull and gray and the coloring of the shells overall very dull and grayed. This could have been a really beautiful book - but the publisher should have sought out a better original to reproduce from and been more careful with the color separation and printing process. It's an art book about reproduction of watercolors that should be beautiful - not drab as the copy I received was.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not to be missed by any library serious about its conchology representation, December 20, 2009

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dezallier D'Argenville: Conchology/Shells (Hardcover)

There are plenty of light shell collector's references on the market, but if one seeks a serious shell science packed with full-page color photos and conchology facts, Shells-Muscheln-Coquillages is the item of choice. The author was a an 18th century French collector passionate about drawing his subject and clearly identifying shells: his authoritative reference is simply not to be missed by any library serious about its conchology representation.

4.0 out of 5 stars Shell illustrations, February 10, 2011

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Trini-Dad (Chesapeake Beach, MD) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dezallier D'Argenville: Conchology/Shells (Hardcover)

A beautiful book and a fair price. Not necessarily for everyone unless you are a seashell collecting enthusiast. Helps you appreciate the skill of persons who wanted to display nature before photography was available.