Butterflies and Plants by Carl Hoffman

Butterflies and Plants by Carl Hoffman

1846

Hand Colored Lithograph

Showcasing an elegant assortment of exotic, day-flying moths, this striking mid-19th-century natural history engraving details four distinct specimens arrayed across a beautifully sketched botanical branch under the plate heading 46. The hand-colored figures depict variations of brightly patterned agaristine moths(commonly referred to as Joseph’s coat moths), highlighting their bold color transitions from dramatic velvety blacks and deep blues to vibrant orange bellies, spotted forewings, and iridescent crimson or cream markings. Symmetrically flanking the central floral stalk, each specimen is individually numbered from 1 to 4. This original hand-colored engraving is dated directly on the sheet as 1850 and was produced for the acclaimed German natural history serial Das Buch der Welt (The Book of the World).

This work originates from Das Buch der Welt, a highly successful illustrated compendium published by Hoffmann's Verlag in Stuttgart, Germany. Under the editorial guidance of Carl Hoffmann, this ambitious serial was designed to merge scientific accuracy with high aesthetic appeal, bringing complex natural science, geography, and ethnology into the homes of the nineteenth-century middle class. This particular plate is historically important as it perfectly reflects the era's fascination with exotic global entomology and the development of accessible educational printmaking. Rather than isolating the insects in plain, clinical grids, the composition frames them dynamically around uncolored botanical sketches—a deliberate stylistic choice that focuses the viewer's eye strictly on the rich, hand-applied pigments of the specimens while celebrating the beautiful intersection of scientific documentation and decorative art.

Dimensions: H 10 ¼” x 8” W

Condition: Slightly toned with age