François Levaillant
François Levaillant was a French explorer, ornithologist, writer and draftsperson (1753–1824). He was born at Paramaribo and died at La Noue.
Also recorded as Francois Levaillant; François Le Vaillant.
François Levaillant in brief
- Born
- 1753
- Died
- 1824
- Known for
- explorer, ornithologist, writer and draftsperson
- Place of birth
- Paramaribo
Contents
Identity and origins
The authorities additionally record the headings Francois Levaillant and François Le Vaillant. His recorded language was French.
3 children are recorded: Charles Levaillant, Jean Levaillant and Jean-Jacques Rousseau Levaillant.
Catalogued works
22 works under this name are catalogued by Wikidata Query Service, Open Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Wellcome Collection. Their recorded dates run from 1790 to 1819.
Travels into the Interior Parts of Africa. Histoire naturelle d'une partie d'oiseaux nouveaux et rares de l'Amerique et des Indes. Iconographie des perroquets. F. le Vaillant's Naturgeschichte der afrikanischen Vögel. Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique. Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de paradis et des rolliers, suivie de celle des toucans et des barbus, held by Museu Nacional. Histoire naturelle des perroquets. Voyage de Monsieur le Vaillant Dans l'intérieur de l'afrique; Volume 1. Voyage en Afrique chez les Cafres et les Hottentots. Second voyage dans l'intérieur de l'Afrique par le cap de Bonne-Espérance, dans les années 1783, 84 et 85. Plate 19, from "Histoire naturelle des perroquets", dated 1801–06, hand-colored engraving, held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, inventory 2019.282.38. Plate 25, from "Histoire naturelle des perroquets", dated 1801–06, hand-colored engraving, held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, inventory 2019.282.34. Bird, from "Histoire naturelle des perroquets", dated 1801–06, hand-colored engraving, held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, inventory 2019.282.35. Plate 22, from "Histoire naturelle des perroquets", dated 1801–06, hand-colored engraving, held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, inventory 2019.282.36. Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique / Par François Levaillant., dated 7, 1799-1808, held by Wellcome Collection. Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique / [François Le Vaillant]., dated 1799, held by Wellcome Collection. Second voyage dans l'intérieur de l'Afrique, par le Cap de Bonne-Espérance, dans les années 1783, 84 et 85 / [François Le Vaillant]., dated An IV [1796], held by Wellcome Collection. Voyage de M. le Vaillant dans l'intérieur de l'Afrique par le Cap de Bonne Espérance, dans les années 1780 ... [-]85 / [François Le Vaillant]., dated 1790, held by Wellcome Collection. Travels into the interior parts of Africa, by the way of the Cape of Good Hope; in the years 1780, 81, 82, 83, 84, and 85 / Tr. from the French of M. Le Vaillant. Illus. with 12 elegant copper-plates., dated 1790, held by Wellcome Collection. New travels into the interior parts of Africa, by the way of the Cape of Good Hope, in the years 1783, 84 and 85 / Translated from the French of Le Vaillant. Illustrated with a map, delineating the route of his present and former travels, and with twenty-two other copper-plates., dated 1796, held by Wellcome Collection. Travels into the interior parts of Africa, by the way of the Cape of Good Hope; in the years 1780, 81, 82, 83, 84, and 85 / Translated from the French. Illustrated with 12 elegant copper-plates., dated 1796, held by Wellcome Collection. Khoi people of the Gonaqua kingdom, southern Africa. Aquatint by G. Gallina, ca. 1819, after F. Le Vaillant., dated [1819], held by Wellcome Collection.
In public collections
Work associated with this heading is recorded in 3 named public collections.
Museu Nacional: 1 recorded object, read from the institution's own published catalogue. The Metropolitan Museum of Art: 8 recorded objects, read from the institution's own published catalogue. Wellcome Collection: 15 recorded objects, read from the institution's own published catalogue.
Literature
6 scholarly publications naming this subject were located in the registry of record.
François Levaillant: Explorer and biologist, South African Journal of Science, 2020. 2 French Representations of the Cape ‘Hottentots’: Jean Tavernier, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and François Levaillant, Imagining the Cape Colony, 2011. Levaillant de Brusle, Claude Charles Antoine Marie, Benezit Dictionary of Artists, 2011. Lybius minor (Cuvier). Black-backed Barbet. Barbican de Levaillant., The Birds of Africa. 14235, 1836-03-01, LEVAILLANT de BRUSLE, père †, Art Sales Catalogues Online. De soie et de plume, les oiseaux de paradis dans la décoration murale impériale, Bulletin du Centre de Recherche du Château de Versailles, 2025.
Digitised editions and texts
12 digitised items associated with this heading are catalogued by Internet Archive.
Histoire naturelle d'une partie d'oiseaux nouveaux et rares de l'Amérique et des Indes, par Francçois Levaillant : Ouvrage destiné par l'auteur à faire partie de son Ornithologie d'Afrique. Tome premier (1801) — Internet Archive. Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique, par François Levaillant. . Vol. 2 (1799) — Internet Archive. Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique, par François Levaillant. . Vol. 5 (1806) — Internet Archive. Voyage dans l'intérieur de l'Afrique, par le cap de Bonne ..., Volume 2 (1790) — Internet Archive. {Histoire naturelle des perroquets, par François Levaillant. Tome premier [-second]} 1 (1801) — Internet Archive. Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique, par François Levaillant. . Vol. 1 (1799) — Internet Archive. Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique, par François Levaillant. . Vol. 4 (1805) — Internet Archive. {Histoire naturelle des perroquets, par François Levaillant. Tome premier [-second]} 2 (1805) — Internet Archive. {Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de paradis et des rolliers, suivie de delle des toucans et des barbus, par François Le Vaillant tome premiere [-second]} 2: tome second (1806) — Internet Archive. Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique, par François Levaillant. . Vol. 3 (1802) — Internet Archive. {Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de paradis et des rolliers, suivie de delle des toucans et des barbus, par François Le Vaillant tome premiere [-second]} 1: tome premier (1806) — Internet Archive. Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique, par François Levaillant. . Vol. 6 (1808) — Internet Archive.
Scholarly footprint
Bibliographic registers publish measured figures for this heading: 19 language editions of the general reference literature carrying an article (Wikimedia (language editions)). A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Evidence base
This article draws on 7 independent source lineages. Copies and mirrors of the same underlying record were collapsed into a single witness, so 7 means 7 genuinely separate publishers of record. 11 further registers were consulted and returned nothing for this heading.
Chronology
- 1753François Levaillant born at Paramaribo.
- 1790Voyage dans l'intérieur de l'Afrique, par le cap de Bonne ..., Volume 2 digitised by Internet Archive.
- 1799Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique, par François Levaillant. . Vol. 2 digitised by Internet Archive.
- 1799Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique, par François Levaillant. . Vol. 1 digitised by Internet Archive.
- 1801Histoire naturelle d'une partie d'oiseaux nouveaux et rares de l'Amérique et des Indes, par Francçois Levaillant : Ouvrage destiné par l'auteur à faire partie de son Ornithologie d'Afrique. Tome premier digitised by Internet Archive.
- 1801{Histoire naturelle des perroquets, par François Levaillant. Tome premier [-second]} 1 digitised by Internet Archive.
- 1806Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique, par François Levaillant. . Vol. 5 digitised by Internet Archive.
- 1824François Levaillant died at La Noue.
Sources
Each source is named with the standing the house places on it, so the evidence can be weighed rather than taken on trust.
- 1.
“François Levaillant”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
reference work · Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Consult the source - 2.
Wikidata, structured authority record Q2642304: François Levaillant
reference work · Reputable secondary · Wikidata
Consult the source
Elsewhere in Books
15,964 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- François Le LionnaisAuthor
- François le Métel de BoisrobertAuthor
- François LeguatAuthor
- François LenormantAuthor
- François MasperoAuthor
- François MauriacAuthor
- François MaynardAuthor
- François MignetAuthor
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by François Levaillant?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.