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Jacques Louis Engramelle, Apollo Butterfly (Mountain Apollo), c1779 to 1792
Sale price
€295,00 EUR
Regular price
€425,00 EUR
Apollo Butterfly (Mountain Apollo)
Parnassius apollo (Linnaeus, 1758)
Jacques Louis Engramelle, Papillons d’Europe, Paris, 1779 to 1792
Originally hand colored copperplate engraving on chain linked, watermarked laid paper
Illustrated by J. J. Ernst, engraved by J. J. Juillet
Paper size: approximately 11 ¾ × 9 inches (30 × 23 cm)
This exquisite eighteenth century engraving from Papillons d’Europe presents the life stages of the Apollo butterfly, one of Europe’s most admired alpine species, with exceptional delicacy. The artist depicts the larva, chrysalis, and both male and female adults, revealing the species’ characteristic translucent wings and striking red eyespots.
Engramelle’s Papillons d’Europe was among the grandest natural history works of the Enlightenment, issued in only 250 hand colored copies. It was created under royal patronage and subscribed to by Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and Buffon. Early impressions on chain linked paper with fresh color and full plate marks are now extremely rare.
Plate condition: Very good to excellent overall with only light age marks.
Product Description
Apollo Butterfly (Mountain Apollo)
Parnassius apollo (Linnaeus, 1758)
Jacques Louis Engramelle, Papillons d’Europe, Paris, 1779 to 1792
Originally hand colored copperplate engraving on chain linked, watermarked laid paper
Illustrated by J. J. Ernst, engraved by J. J. Juillet
Paper size: approximately 11 ¾ × 9 inches (30 × 23 cm)
This exquisite eighteenth century engraving from Papillons d’Europe presents the life stages of the Apollo butterfly, one of Europe’s most admired alpine species, with exceptional delicacy. The artist depicts the larva, chrysalis, and both male and female adults, revealing the species’ characteristic translucent wings and striking red eyespots.
Engramelle’s Papillons d’Europe was among the grandest natural history works of the Enlightenment, issued in only 250 hand colored copies. It was created under royal patronage and subscribed to by Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and Buffon. Early impressions on chain linked paper with fresh color and full plate marks are now extremely rare.
Plate condition: Very good to excellent overall with only light age marks.
Details
Engraver: Illustrated by J. J. Ernst, engraved by J. J. Juillet; Jacques Louis Engramelle (1734-1814), author
Title: Apollo Butterfly (Mountain Apollo), Parnassius apollo
Publication: Papillons d'Europe, Paris, 1779-1792
Medium: Hand-coloured copperplate engraving on chain-linked, watermarked laid paper
Provenance: From a copy of Engramelle's Papillons d'Europe, royal subscriber edition
Dimensions: Paper size approx. 30 by 23 cm (11 3/4 by 9 inches)
Condition: Very good to excellent. Light age marks consistent with the period.
Rarity: Engramelle's Papillons d'Europe was issued in only 250 hand-coloured copies under royal patronage, subscribed to by Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and Buffon. Early impressions on chain-linked paper with fresh colour and full plate marks are increasingly scarce.
Significance
Among the grandest natural history works of the Enlightenment, Papillons d'Europe set a standard for entomological illustration that combined scientific precision with aesthetic refinement. The Apollo butterfly, one of Europe's most admired alpine species, is shown across its full life cycle, larva, chrysalis, and both sexes, displaying the translucent wings and red eyespots that have made it one of the most recognisable subjects in eighteenth-century lepidoptery.
