Lepidoptera. Eterusia Tricolor, Erasmia Pulchella, Amesia Sanguiflua engraving c1835

$60.00

Lizars engraving. Eterusia, Erasmia, Amesia, Lepidoptera antique print.

Small entomology engraving. Antique Print of Saturnia Maia. 

Original hand coloured steel engraving by Edinburgh engraver William Home Lizars (1788-1859), published circa 1834 for the great Scottish naturalist and ornithologist, Sir William Jardine's The Naturalist's Library.

After his father Daniel Lizars died, W.H. Lizars took over his artist-engraver-publisher's business. William Lizars had already established a reputation as a fine engraver. For Jardine (whose daughter Lizars married) he engraved around 4,000 small portraits of fauna. the butterflies stand out clearly against the uncoloured backgroun – which was a stroke of genius – and no doubt saved a lot of time and effort.

Size of engraving is 18 x 10cm (7 x 4 inches)