About this sheet
A decorative set of two original antique hand-colored copper engravings depicting an extraordinary variety of insects, including dragonflies, damselflies, cicadas, beetles and other unusual species.
Published in Friedrich Justin Bertuch’s celebrated “Bilderbuch für Kinder” in Weimar in the early 19th century, the two companion plates are numbered “Insecten LXXXIV” and “Insecten LXXXV.”
Offered together as a set of two original antique natural-history engravings.
PLATE 1 – INSECTEN LXXXIV
The first engraving is dominated by a spectacular large dragonfly shown with its four intricately veined wings fully extended.
Surrounding it are numerous additional dragonflies, damselflies and related insects, several shown in different developmental stages.
The plate includes studies of adult insects as well as larvae or nymphs, illustrating the remarkable transformation these insects undergo during their life cycle.
Dragonflies & Damselflies
Dragonflies and damselflies belong to the ancient insect order Odonata.
Their ancestors appeared hundreds of millions of years ago, making them representatives of one of the oldest surviving groups of winged insects.
The adults are superb aerial predators, while their larvae live primarily underwater and are themselves efficient hunters.
The exceptionally delicate engraved network of veins in the wings is one of the most attractive features of this plate.
Several smaller insects display extraordinarily elongated tails and delicate transparent wings, giving the composition an almost ethereal appearance.
PLATE 2 – INSECTEN LXXXV
The companion engraving presents another fascinating selection of insects.
The most prominent specimen at the top is a beautifully colored cicada with transparent patterned wings and a strongly marked yellow, red and black body.
Cicadas are famous for the extraordinary calls produced by males, which can rank among the loudest sounds made by insects.
The plate also contains an intriguing assortment of beetles, winged insects and long-legged species.
Particularly striking are the two extremely slender insects in the center, represented with elongated bodies and extraordinarily long legs. Other figures show insects both with their wings open and closed, allowing their anatomy to be compared.
The lower portion contains several curious beetle-like forms with unusual antennae, wing cases and brightly colored bodies.
Together, the two plates provide a fascinating overview of the extraordinary diversity of insect forms documented by European naturalists during the early 19th century.
FRIEDRICH JUSTIN BERTUCH
Friedrich Justin Bertuch (1747–1822) was a German publisher, writer and patron of the arts.
His monumental “Bilderbuch für Kinder” (Picture Book for Children), first published in Weimar in 1790, became one of the great illustrated educational encyclopedias of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Its hundreds of engraved and hand-colored plates introduced readers to animals, birds, insects, plants, marine life, geography, science, technology, antiquity and cultures from around the world.
The work was specifically conceived to make knowledge accessible through high-quality illustrations, resulting in some of the most attractive popular natural-history imagery of the period.
THE SET
These two consecutive insect plates are particularly attractive when displayed together.
Their compositions complement one another beautifully: Plate LXXXIV is dominated by the large, elegant dragonfly and numerous delicately winged insects, while Plate LXXXV introduces stronger yellow, red, blue and black coloring through its cicadas, beetles and other exotic insects.
The combination creates an appealing pair for a natural-history collection, library, study, cabinet-of-curiosities or contemporary interior.
Both prints retain their delicate original hand coloring.
Technique: Original hand-colored copper engravings
Publisher: Friedrich Justin Bertuch / Industrie-Comptoir
Publication: Bilderbuch für Kinder
Place: Weimar, Germany
Date: Early 19th century, circa 1815
Number of prints: 2
Plates:
Insecten LXXXIV / Insectes LXXXIV
Insecten LXXXV / Insectes LXXXV
Subjects: Dragonflies, Damselflies, Cicadas, Beetles and Other Insects
Condition:
Good antique condition with overall age-related toning, scattered light foxing and spotting and some visible show-through or offsetting from printed text. Minor marks and imperfections are present consistent with engravings more than 200 years old.
The original hand coloring remains attractive, with delicate greens, yellows, reds, blues and browns.
Both engravings are loosely inserted in acid-free matting boards.
Please study the photographs carefully as they form part of the condition description.
Please note: These are two original antique hand-colored copper engravings from the early 19th century, not modern...
