Bernard Direxit Ingraving/Print? Noah’s Ark

So this came out of an old world history book, although I don’t know the exact particulars of the book anymore. I’m wondering if it’s possible to tell approx age and process of the printing based on photos. From what I can gather the artist is well known for nature type material but I wasn’t able to find much of this type of material.
21” wide by 7” tall, seems very crisp with high detail. I tried to get some tight shots as well by holding a loupe against my iPhone (don’t judge me for being low tech)

 

The name is Benard, not Bernard & direxit is Latin & means that this Benard directs the firm that made the print. Is there nothing else written in the bottom margin?

Edit: In this case, direxit may just mean that he oversaw production.

 

Anything printed on the reverse?

Debora

 

In this case Benard did the engraving, so Benard fecit, made it.

https://wellcomecollection.org/works/vypqda9b

 

Damn spellcheck. Nothing else written.

Nope

 

https://www.ebay.ie/sch/sis.html?_i...+engraving+by+Benard+out+Diderot&_mPrRngCbx=1

 

That didn’t go anywhere for me☹️

 

It was just the results that turned up for a search for 'printer Benard'. It was what's listed on eBay Ireland at the moment. If you search instead for 'Diderot Benard' think you'll find many of the same thing.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bénard

 

It looks like there are indentations surrounding the print from the plate? If so, this looks to me like an original engraving and not a reproduction.

 

Histoire Universelle, Volume I

 

Robert Benard is listed as an illustrator in library records. Quite an ambitious work:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histoire_Naturelle

 

INH does it again.

Guessing that one is earlier, since it appeared in a Supplement, while OP's was properly incorporated into Volume I, along with, no doubt, the rest of the Biblical creation story.

 

From the Wiki entry:

Another edition in quarto format was printed by the Imprimerie royale in 36 volumes (1774–1804). It consisted of 28 volumes par Buffon, and 8 volumes by Lacépède. The part containing anatomical articles by Louis Jean-Marie Daubenton was dropped. The supplements were merged into the relevant articles in the main volumes. [Emphasis mine.]

The Imprimerie royale also published two editions of the Histoire Naturelle in duodecimo format (1752–1805), occupying 90 or 71 volumes, depending on whether or not they included the part on anatomy. In this print format, the original work by Buffon occupied 73 volumes with the part on anatomy, or 54 volumes without the part on anatomy. The continuation by Lacépède took up 17 duodecimo volumes.

What size book would be required to accommodate the fold out page?

 

The lower one is the ark, that would be the size of a page in the book, the map above is folded smaller because it unfolds vertically as well as horizontally....not just horizontally like the ark.

 

The height of the page suggests the volumes were in the octavo format. Unless Wiki is leading us astray, your print did not come from one of the very earliest editions.

 

I don’t believe this came from ‘History of Nature’ but from ‘History of the Universe’....unless ‘Universe’ was a part of the editions you’re referenced. I’m certainly not intending that it’s any older, only want to make sure we’re referencing the right books.

 

My bad, as they say. Getting a bit late & a bit blurry. But it would be useful if we can find out what formats the Histoire Universelle was published in, when.

 

I agree..also getting tired here!

Thanks to all for the info and discussion as always. I’ll keep working on this one...but it’s nice to know it’s most likely old...by my standards anyway!