Vicuna (Vicugna vicugna). Engraving created in 1700s for renowned work on mammals by German naturalist, Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber, the multi-volume 'Die Saugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen' ('The Mammals in Accordance with Illustrations of Nature with Descriptions'), published from 1775 to 1792. Collectively, the mammals featured by Schreber in this work have come to be known as 'Schreber's Fantastic Beasts'. The engraving was later coloured by hand.
Hand-coloured antique engraving. It depicts a vicuna and was created by an unknown artist for a renowned work on mammals by the German naturalist, Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber (1739-1810). The vicuna or vicugna (Vicugna vicugna) is the smallest member of the camel family and is the wild ancestor of the alpaca. They are found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, living on the high mountainous grasslands and plains of the Andes. They produce small amounts of fine wool which is expensive because the animal can only be shorn every three years. Johan Christian Daniel Von Schreber (often styled von Schreber) studied in Germany and Sweden and worked as a doctor of medicine before beginning his most famous work, his multi-volume 'Die Saugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen' ('The Mammals in Accordance with Illustrations of Nature with Descriptions'), published from 1775 to 1792. It was illustrated by about 800 plates of the different mammals. The hand-coloured engraving of a vicuna was Plate CCCVII (307) in a Schreber volume printed c. 1785. Many of the animals were being given scientific names for the first time, according to the binomial system pioneered by the Swedish zoologist, Carl Linnaeus. It is likely that none of the artists responsible had actually seen any of the exotic animals they drew, relying instead on descriptions from explorers. Not surprisingly, many of the pictures are quite a long way from zoological reality. Collectively, they have come to be known as 'Schreber's Fantastic Beasts'.
Size: 10400px × 10400px
Location: In natural habitat
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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