Reptiles & Amphibians · 18th century
€ 690
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Very good. Vibrant colors, minimal fading. Paper shows light toning and minor foxing in margins. Edges sharp; one small tear in bottom, no folds. Slight handling marks, not affecting image quality.
This is a hand-colored copper engraving by Johann Michael Seligmann, based on the work of George Edwards. The print is from Seligmann's *Sammlung verschiedener ausländischer und seltener Vögel* (Collection of Various Foreign and Rare Birds), published in Nuremberg between 1770 and 1773.
This specific plate, titled "Die große gefleckte Eidechse mit dem gabelförmigen Schwanz" (The Large Spotted Lizard with the Forked Tail), features a depiction of exotic lizards, likely inspired by species observed in Jamaica, as noted in the Latin description.
The engraving shows:
1. Large Lizard - A colorful, large-spotted lizard with a unique forked tail, possibly inspired by Jamaican lizards or a stylized illustration of a species unfamiliar to European audiences at the time.
2. Smaller Lizard - A smaller green lizard with a long tail, placed below for comparative scale.
3. Lizard Eggs - Three egg-like forms likely representing reptilian eggs, adding a natural history context to the plate.
The Latin inscription below identifies the main subject as *Lacertus major cinereus maculatus Iamaicensis bicaudatus*, translated as "Large Ashy-Spotted Two-Tailed Lizard of Jamaica." Seligmann’s technique of copperplate engraving with hand-coloring was meticulously detailed, allowing each print to serve both as an educational tool and a piece of art.
