British Butterflies (Pl. 76) by Henry Noel Humphreys

British Butterflies (Pl. 76) by Henry Noel Humphreys

1853

Hand Colored Lithograph

Documenting the precise metamorphic stages of a single skipper butterfly species from a volume published in 1853, this minimalist 19th-century natural history illustration presents a clean anatomical layout under the heading 76. The sparse vertical layout features an adult butterfly perched on a small stem at the top, showing off its olive-green and gold underwings, flanked in the center by a pair of open-winged specimens that highlight their warm orange-yellow upper wings and dark borders. Arranged symmetrically at the bottom are its early biological stages, displaying a slender, dark-striped caterpillar crawling horizontally opposite a vibrant green-and-blue chrysalis. While the influential series originally debuted in 1841, this specific hand-finished lithograph originates from a later 1853 reissue of British Butterflies and Their Transformations, pairing the elegant illustration plates of Henry Noel Humphreys with the scientific commentary of John Obadiah Westwood.

This work stems from a milestone period in 19th-century natural history publishing, marking a highly successful collaboration between Humphreys' artistic flair and Westwood's rigorous scientific expertise. John Obadiah Westwood was a preeminent British entomologist and archaeologist who later became the Hope Professor of Zoology at Oxford, revered for his immense contributions to insect taxonomy. Unlike earlier works that isolated specimens in stiff, sterile rows, this plate is historically important because it helped pioneer the ecological format—showing insects dynamically interacting with their specific host plants. This aesthetic and educational approach fundamentally changed how the public visualized biology, transforming scientific documentation into a widely sought-after art form during the Victorian era.

Dimensions: H 10” x 6 ½” W

Condition: Slightly toned with age