Woodcock in the undergrowth. The woodcock is depicted with a hunter and hunting dog in the background. The composition reveals exceptional mastery of naturalistic drawing: the plumage is rendered in delicate, nuanced colours, conveying both the texture and light as well as the natural posture of the woodcock. This engraving is reproduced in Alphonse Toussenel's book ‘Oiseaux de chasse’ (Game Birds).
Modern frame: 63 x 48 cm. Engraving: 48 x 34 cm.
Price: £80
REF:
 
Edouard Traviès de Villers (1809-1865) was a 19th-century French painter, illustrator and naturalist, renowned for the beauty and precision of his animal depictions, particularly birds.
Traviès received a solid artistic education, which led him to exhibit for the first time at the Paris Salon in 1831. He quickly specialised in animal painting, particularly birds, a passion that permeates all his work.
Traviès distinguished himself through his ornithological illustrations at a time when zoology was experiencing remarkable growth in France. He contributed to numerous scientific works, including Buffon's monumental Les Oiseaux les plus remarquables par leurs formes et leurs couleurs (The Most Remarkable Birds in Terms of Their Forms and Colours, 1836–1857). 
Influenced by the great figures of illustrated ornithology, such as Audubon, Traviès follows in the rigorous tradition of faithfully representing living creatures. He combines anatomical precision, attention to detail and aesthetic sensibility, making each plate a true work of art.