Pl. 3 Antique Print of Butterflies by L'Admiral (1774)

Description: Rare and beautiful butterfly print by Jacob l'Admiral. Starting in 1740 he published only 33 copper etchings. After L'Admiral's death the plates came into the possession of Dr.M. Houttuyn who edited the text and published the plates in 1774 at J. Sluyter under the title 'Nauwkeurige waarnemingenomtrent de veranderingenvan veele insekten of gekorvene diertjes'. 

Artists and Engravers: L'Admiral (Amsterdam, 1700-1770) studied the life-cycle and metamorphosis of a number of species of butterflies, moths and other insects and most plates show the life cycles of the insects depicted, from egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult as well as important host plants. L'Admiral continued to enhance the growing body of scientific work of this age that was begun by pioneers in the field such as Maria Sibylla Merian. L'Admiral's work was incomplete and starting in 1740 he published only 33 copper engravings before his death, of a series he intended to be much larger.