Capricorne (Plate 209) by Robert Bénard

Capricorne (Plate 209) by Robert Bénard

C. 1797

Hand Colored Engraving

This elegant botanical and entomological plate presents a captivating display of longhorn beetles under the French heading Capricorne (Plate 209). The composition features nine meticulously detailed specimens rendered with exceptional precision, accentuating their exaggeratedly long, arching antennae and diverse body structures. Each beetle is finished with vibrant hand-painted tones—including a prominent specimen with a striking red body and green legs labeled Le Capricorne Sutural, alongside others like Le Capricorne Velouté and Le Capricorne Elégant. This hand-colored copperplate engraving was produced under the workshop direction of Robert Bénard (inscribed as "Benard Direxit") and published circa 1797 for Charles-Joseph Panckoucke’s definitive scientific anthology, Histoire Naturelle, Insectes.

The print stems from the Encyclopédie Méthodique, an ambitious French publishing venture designed to expand and systematically improve upon Diderot and d’Alembert's famous Encyclopédie. Robert Bénard, a highly skilled French printmaker and director of engraving workshops during the late 18th century, was uniquely vital to this massive project, overseeing the production of thousands of technical and scientific plates to ensure rigorous accuracy. This particular engraving is of significant historical importance because it documents the early scientific efforts to classify the diverse Carabidae family during the Enlightenment, reflecting a societal pivot toward empirical observation and the democratic dissemination of natural history knowledge.

Dimensions: H 11 ½” x 8” W

Condition: In very good condition