Jean Gabriel PRETRE (1768-1849) Natural history plate Mixed media on paper Three plates framed under glass Signed lower left Height: 15.6; Width: 9 cm (each) Note. Jean-Gabriel Prêtre, a Franco-Swiss painter, began his career working for Empress Josephine's menagerie, then for the Paris Natural History Museum. At the same time, he illustrated a number of natural history books that bear witness to his sensitivity, his work and his meticulous observation of animals.

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