Butterflies (Pl. CCCXXXVI) by Gerrit Wartenaar Lambertz

Butterflies (Pl. CCCXXXVI) by Gerrit Wartenaar Lambertz

1782

Hand Colored Engraving

Arranged in an orderly scientific display, this meticulous 18th-century natural history plate outlines six individual exotic butterfly specimens under the heading PL. CCCXXXVI. The stark composition positions the insects in a balanced grid against a clean, unadorned ivory background to best accentuate variations in wing geometry and patterning. Key specimens include figure B, a striking brown butterfly accented with a bold, contrasting white band across its lower wings, and figure E, a deep charcoal-brown specimen displaying distinct golden eye-spots, alongside others featuring intricate, rippled earth-toned patterns like figure F. Originally drawn by the painter Gerrit Wartenaar Lambertz, this exquisite copperplate engraving with delicate hand-coloring was published in Amsterdam by S.J. Baalde circa 1779–1782 for the entomological series De uitlandsche kapellen.

This plate stems from De uitlandsche kapellen voorkomende in de drie waereld-deelen Asia, Africa en America, an ambitious multi-volume publishing venture initiated by the Dutch merchant and dedicated lepidopterist Pieter Cramer. When Cramer passed away midway through production, the extensive project was completed by his collaborator, the naturalist Caspar Stoll, making it the very first color-illustrated book on exotic butterflies arranged systematically according to the Linnaean classification system. This specific work holds historical value because it marks a watershed moment in global entomology, accurately cataloging over 1,650 tropical species brought back to Europe's elite "cabinets of curiosities" via expanding international trade routes. By prioritizing lifelike scale and strict anatomical clarity over environmental background, it provided an essential primary reference that laid the foundational groundwork for modern evolutionary taxonomy.

Dimensions: H 11 ½” x 9” W

Condition: Paper slightly perforated on left edge