Insekten XXXIX by Anonymous Artist

Insekten XXXIX by Anonymous Artist

C. 1795

Hand Colored Engraving

This antique hand-colored copperplate engraving features four distinct species of moths alongside their pupae and caterpillars, set beneath the multilingual headers Insekten XXXIX, Insectes XXXIX, Insects XXXIX, and Insetti XXXIX. The plate showcases detailed illustrations of various underwing and tiger moths, including a large Blue Underwing (Catocala fraxini) at the top (Fig. 1), a yellow-winged moth (Fig. 2), a bold tiger moth with vivid orange-red hindwings (Fig. 3), and a red underwing moth depicted in life cycle stages at the bottom (Fig. 4). Drawn by an artist affiliated with the Weimar Princely Free Drawing School, this scientific illustration was published in 1795 in Weimar, Germany, by the publishing house of Friedrich Justin Bertuch and his son Carl Bertuch.

This print was produced for the monumental 12-volume educational encyclopedia Bilderbuch für Kinder(Picture Book for Children). The original drawing was executed by an anonymous draftsman at the Weimar Princely Free Drawing School(Fürstliche Freie Zeichenschule), where instructors and advanced students prepared the reference designs for the series' plates based on precise empirical observations and existing scientific treatises. This work represents a major turning point in Enlightenment-era child pedagogy, representing a revolutionary shift away from text-heavy moralizing literature toward highly detailed, multilingual, and empirical visual tools designed to foster scientific curiosity in young minds.

Dimensions: H 10 ⅜” x 8 ¼” W

Condition: In excellent condition