Søren Abildgaard

Søren Abildgaard Pedersen ( born February 18, 1718 Flekkefjord, Norway, † July 2, 1791 in Copenhagen) was a Danish biologist, author and illustrator.

Søren Abildgaard Pedersen was born on February 18, 1718, the son of customs officer Peder Abildgaard and his wife Anne Sørensdatter in Flekkefjord. In Christiansand he went to school; there he remained until 1737 at the University (now the University of Agder).

Abildgaard traveled throughout Denmark, first as an illustrator and painter Jacob Langebeks (1710-1775) scientific field trip to the east coast of Denmark (1754-1755) in the Baltic and Sweden, and later on his own twelve year journey through Denmark and Norway (1756-1776). He drew any kind of natural or monument that could shed light on the past of the Danish - Norwegian personal union. These drawings are now in the University Library of Copenhagen. Since many of his drawings convey especially in rune stones and grave monuments one of today's environmental and time factors largely free impression that they are not to be underestimated as image sources.

He was married to Anne Margrethe Bastholm. The couple had two sons: Nicolai Abraham Abildgaard (1743-1809) and Peter Christian Abildgaard ( 1740-1801 ).

He is most known for his two works for topographical mineralogy. After the death of his Danish colleague Otto Friedrich Müller he gave the other volumes whose Zoologiae Danicae Prodromus, seu Animalium Daniae et Norvegiae Indigenarum characteres, nomina et Synonyms Imprimis popularium 1776 et seq out.

His author abbreviation of zoological taxa is Abildgaard.