Humphreys hand-coloured lithograph of Moths Lifecycle c1845.

$70.00

Humphreys antique print of delicate moths and caterpillars.

Original  hand-coloured lithograph 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 Moths and their Transformations published in London c1845.

Henry Noel Humphreys (1810-1879), was an English artist and author who loved nature – and coins. He spent years in Italy studying Greek and Roman coins, archaelogy, exquisite medieval manuscripts, and the art of writing and printing – all of which he wrote about, and illustrated – including 14 beautiful colour-printed lithographs illustrating the techniques of illumination and its development through the Middle Ages. His books on numismatics are very well regarded; and his representation of the lifecycle transformations of butterflies with caterpillar, chrysalis and their host plants was commended by the Curators, and adopted at the British Museum. The exquisite medieval manuscripts he studied in Italy are surely reflected in Humphreys' exquisite antique prints of butterflíes and moths.

Humphreys 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.”

This is a beautiful butterfly lithograph. Paper is slightly age-discoloured. Size is 285 x 210mm (11.25 x 8.25 inches).