Chauve-Souris D'Egypte [Bats of Egypt] (1809)
by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (French, 1772–1844)
When Napoleon invaded Ottoman Egypt in 1798, he brought an unusual contingent alongside his army: over 150 scientists, artists, and scholars tasked with documenting everything they encountered. This print is the first plate from the Histoire Naturelle volumes of the Description de l'Égypte — the monumental publication that resulted from that expedition.
Three species are depicted with the precision of scientific illustration: the Bare-Bellied Tomb Bat, the Hollow-Faced Bat, and the Common Pipistrelle Bat. Creatures of the night, rendered with the cool exactitude of Enlightenment science — and a natural fit for walls that appreciate the darker side of the natural world.
Rectangle Canvas Wrap
Gallery-quality canvas with fade-resistant inks and a 1.25" deep pine frame sourced from renewable forests. Arrives wrapped and ready to hang.
- Materials: cotton and polyester composite canvas, pine wood frame
- Inner frame: radiata pine from renewable forests
- Leveling bumpers included for wall protection
- Ready to hang — mounting hardware pre-attached
Care: Dust gently with a clean, damp cloth as needed.