Pauline Rifer de Courcelles

Pauline Knip (née Pauline Rifer de Courcelles) (26 July 1781 – 18 April 1851) was a French bird artist. Her paintings of birds, particularly pigeons, were used in Coenraad Jacob Temminck's multi-part work Histoire Naturelle des Pigeons et des Gallinaces. She altered parts nine and later of this multipart work, retitling it to Les Pigeons by Madame Knip with Temminck only being author of the text. She sent a copy to Temminck that was not tampered with.

Early and personal life Antoinette Pauline Jacqueline Rifer de Courcelles was born on 26 July 1781 in Paris. Her father was a senior navy officer. She met Joseph August Knip, a student of Van Spaendonck, at Jacques Barraband's studio, and they were married in 1808. She took Knip's surname, but they later divorced in 1824. She was sister in law of floral artist Henriëtte Geertruida Knip and the step-mother of Dutch artist Henriëtte Ronner-Knip through this relationship.

Knip's paintings of birds, particularly the pigeons, were used in Coenraad Jacob Temminck's multi-part work Histoire Naturelle des Pigeons et des Gallinaces. Knip altered parts nine and later of the multipart work, retitling it to Les Pigeons by Madame Knip, with Temminck only credited as author of the text. She sent a copy to Temminck that had not been tampered with. He however added a note on the matter at the end of the third and last volume of his 1815 work Histoire naturelle générale des pigeons et des gallinacés.

Death and legacy Pauline Knip died in Paris on 18 April 1851.

Knip's work has become very collectable, reaching significant prices at auction.

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