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Jacques Louis Engramelle, Skipper and Copper Butterflies (Lycaenidae & Hesperiidae), c.1779-1792
Sale price
€195,00 EUR
Regular price
€285,00 EUR
Skipper and Copper Butterflies (Lycaenidae & Hesperiidae)
Various species including Lycaena phlaeas and Hesperia comma
Jacques Louis Engramelle, Papillons d’Europe, Paris, 1779 to 1792
Originally hand colored copperplate engraving on chain linked, watermarked laid paper
Illustrated by Poirier, engraved by J. J. Juillet
Paper size: approximately 11 ¾ × 9 inches (30 × 23 cm)
This finely detailed eighteenth century engraving from Papillons d’Europe features several species of small butterflies from the Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae families, commonly known as coppers and skippers. Their rich orange and tawny wings, spotted underwings, and slender antennae are rendered with exquisite precision, reflecting the Enlightenment’s fascination with the diversity of the natural world.
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
Skipper and Copper Butterflies (Lycaenidae & Hesperiidae)
Various species including Lycaena phlaeas and Hesperia comma
Jacques Louis Engramelle, Papillons d’Europe, Paris, 1779 to 1792
Originally hand colored copperplate engraving on chain linked, watermarked laid paper
Illustrated by Poirier, engraved by J. J. Juillet
Paper size: approximately 11 ¾ × 9 inches (30 × 23 cm)
This finely detailed eighteenth century engraving from Papillons d’Europe features several species of small butterflies from the Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae families, commonly known as coppers and skippers. Their rich orange and tawny wings, spotted underwings, and slender antennae are rendered with exquisite precision, reflecting the Enlightenment’s fascination with the diversity of the natural world.
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 Poirier, engraved by J. J. Juillet; Jacques Louis Engramelle (1734-1814), author
Title: Skipper and Copper Butterflies (Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae)
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: Issued in only 250 hand-coloured copies under royal patronage. Early impressions on chain-linked paper with fresh colour are scarce.
Significance
Several species of small butterflies from the Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae families, the coppers and skippers, rendered in the characteristic Enlightenment fusion of scientific precision and aesthetic refinement. The rich orange and tawny wings, spotted underwings, and slender antennae are drawn with a delicacy that reflects Engramelle's royal subscriber audience of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and Buffon.
