Butterflies and their Transformations c1849. Discounted antique print.

$45.00

Wonderful butterfly life-cycle hand-coloured illustration by H.N. Humphreys.
Insects. 1.Papilio Machaon (Swallow-tailed Butterfly), 2.Caterpillar, 3.Chrysalis. 4.Papilio Podalirius (Scarce Swallow-tail Butterfly).. 7.Goniapteryx Rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly) – male, 8.female, 9.Caterpillar, 10.Chrysalis.
Plants: 11.Daucus Carota (Wild Carrot), 12.Prumus spinosa (Sloe), 13.Rhamnus catharticus (Buckthorn).

Original antique print of Butterflies, Caterpillars and Chrysalises arranged and illustrated by H.N. Humphreys Esq., with characters and descriptions by J. O. Westwood, Esq. F.L.S. (secretary of the Entomological Society), for British Butterflies and their Transformations published in London c1849.

Humphreys (1810-1879), was a British naturalist, entomologist, illustrator – and numismatist. His presentation of the butterflies with caterpillar and chrysalis, impressed curators at the British Museum, who adopted this method of illustrating the transformation lifecycle of insects. Humphreys lovely engravings surely echo the exquisite medieval manuscripts he studied in Italy when a young man. He wrote: “The study of natural history is the learning of the characters with which the wonderful story of nature is written.. cannot conceive a more pleasing and natural introduction to its general study than entomology, of which I think the division of Lepidoptera.. the most easy and attractive section.  H. N. Humphreys, Esq.”

Page size is 285 x 210mm (11.25 x 8.25 inches). This delightful lithograph has a slight nick out of the paper at the left hand edge, and the page is slightly soiled and rubbed.