Religion · 19th century
€ 570
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good antique condition with age-related toning, scattered foxing, and minor marginal wear consistent with age. Original hand coloring remains attractive and well preserved.
Antique Flying Fox Bat Lithograph by Karl Joseph Brodtmann, 1816
This remarkable early 19th-century hand-colored lithograph by the celebrated Swiss natural history artist Karl Joseph Brodtmann depicts two species of flying fox bats (“Pteropus”), rendered with striking scientific detail and unusual decorative elegance. Produced in 1816, the print reflects the fascination with exotic zoology and newly documented species that characterized the Enlightenment and Romantic periods.
The composition features two dramatic bat specimens displayed with wings fully extended, creating a highly symmetrical and visually arresting arrangement. The upper figure is identified as “Pteropus amplexicaudatus,” while the lower depicts “Pteropus griseus.” Their broad membranous wings, fox-like heads, and expressive posture give the sheet an almost theatrical appearance rarely encountered in early zoological illustration.
Karl Joseph Brodtmann was among the pioneering masters of natural history lithography in Europe. His works are admired for combining scientific precision with refined artistic sensibility, resulting in plates that function equally as scholarly illustration and sophisticated decorative art. The subtle hand coloring and carefully balanced compositions characteristic of Brodtmann’s work are beautifully evident in this example.
Bat subjects from the early 19th century are especially desirable within the field of antique natural history due to their rarity, dramatic forms, and strong cabinet-of-curiosities appeal. The unusual subject matter gives this lithograph exceptional decorative presence, particularly for collectors interested in Wunderkammer aesthetics, gothic interiors, dark academia, or exotic zoological imagery.
The generous negative space and restrained palette create a surprisingly modern composition that works exceptionally well once professionally framed. Framed in dark walnut with wide oatmeal matting, the piece takes on a rich museum-quality appearance with considerable warmth and atmosphere. Black lacquer or subtly gilt frames also complement the dramatic natural history subject beautifully.
This lithograph is particularly suitable for libraries, studies, gentleman’s clubs, eclectic collector interiors, Wunderkammer displays, dark academia spaces, boutique hotel interiors, or sophisticated gallery walls focused on natural history and exploration themes.
The print is an original antique lithograph from 1816, not a reproduction. All items we offer are authentic period works of art over 100 years old. The piece is sold unframed; any framed images are shown for presentation and interior inspiration only and may not always be to scale with the original.
Condition report:
Good antique condition with age-related toning, scattered foxing, and minor marginal wear consistent with age. Original hand coloring remains attractive and well preserved.
Framing tips:
This lithograph displays exceptionally well in dark walnut, black lacquer, or lightly gilt frames paired with a wide ivory or oatmeal mat. Its dramatic zoological subject and warm muted palette make it particularly suitable for libraries, studies, Wunderkammer displays, gentleman’s clubs, dark academia interiors, or sophisticated gallery walls.
Technique: Hand-colored lithograph
Maker: Karl Joseph Brodtmann, Switzerland, 1816
