Martinet Bald Ibis Pillow

This image of a bald ibis (1770–86) is from Histoire Naturelle Des Oiseaux, an important set of volumes edited by Georges Louis Leclerc, le comte de Buffon (1707-1788), head of the royal botanical gardens under King Louis XV. The most celebrated ornithological work of the 18th century, it includes hand-colored engravings such as the one by François Nicolas Martinet (French, 1731–ca. 1804) in The Met collection, which features on our luxurious pillow. Martinet trained as an engineer and draftsman, but today he’s best remembered for his exquisite bird engravings.