Diard & Duvaucel: French Natural History Drawings of Singapore and Southeast Asia (1818-1820)

Shortlisted for Singapore Book Awards 2022 (Best Illustrated Non-Fiction Title)

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In the 1800s, two French naturalists named Pierre-Médard Diard and Alfred Duvaucel travelled to Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia to collect and study the local flora and fauna. Knowing that it was important to supplement the specimens they sent back to scientists in Europe with sketches, Diard and Duvaucel commissioned artists to create hundreds of drawings of animals and plants at each of the locations they visited. Today, the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris houses 120 of these drawings, and the entire collection has been digitised and transferred to Singapore’s National Library for safekeeping. Diard & Duvaucel is an initiative between the Embassy of France in Singapore and the National Library to celebrate the deep ties between France and Singapore, as well as the regional biodiversity. The stunning illustrations are accompanied by essays and captions written by curators and scientists.