On Antoine Risso and his Histoire Naturelle des Principales Productions de l’Europe Méridionale et Particulièrement de Celles des Environs de Nice et des Alpes Maritimes

Abstract

. Antoine Risso (1777-1844) was a native and lifelong resident of Nice (France). He was a pharmacist by training and occupation, but became one of the foremost naturalists of his time. Risso published extensively on the flora, and particularly the marine fauna, of his native region. His 'magnum opus' is an 1826 five volume work on the natural history of Nice and its region, treating geology, botany and zoology: Histoire Naturelle des Principales Productions de l'Europe Méridionale et Particulièrement de Celles des Environs de Nice et des Alpes Maritimes . The volumes included beautiful color plates, nearly all the work of Jean Gabriel Prêtre, one of the most reputable naturalist-painters of the first half of the 19th century. Risso's Histoire Naturelle was greeted with considerable criticism when it appeared. However, today it can be said that it has passed the test of time. Of works published in 1826, Risso's Histoire Naturelle appears among the top five in terms of total number of citations in academic journals, along with the classic works by D'Orbigny on cepalopods and Malthus on population growth. Nonetheless, Risso's major work is unknown to most of us other than perhaps fish taxonomists, and specialists in scientific illustration. Here an attempt is made to introduce to a broad audience Antoine Risso's interesting life and his major work, as well as the work of Jean Gabriel Prêtre.