The hare
Swiss physician and naturalist, Conrad Gessner is the author of the Historia animalium. Inspired by Pliny, this treatise on zoology was published in four volumes between 1551 and 1558, with a fifth volume published posthumously in 1587. This encyclopedia was considered for decades as one of the most complete. It presents a large number of animal species - real or imaginary - in alphabetical order and under various aspects: scientific, geographical, historical and literary.
Numerous engravings illustrate the treatise (such as this common hare) and are intended to help identify the species mentioned. The engravings are based on the work of Lukas Schan and show the scientific precision of Conrad Gessner. These naturalist perspective also have a decorative character.
