{"product_id":"moths-pl-47-by-henry-noel-humphreys","title":"Moths (Pl. 47) by Henry Noel Humphreys","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMoths (Pl. 47) by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHenry Noel Humphreys\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eC. 1843-1845\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHand Colored Lithograph\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDepicting an elegant assortment of British lepidoptera in various stages of development, this exquisite hand-colored plate illustrates a dynamic cluster of moths swirling around a central botanical stalk under the heading \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePL. 47\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The composition cleverly incorporates structural variety by rendering both adult winged specimens, such as the prominent gold-toned Ghost-moth (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eHepialus humuli\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e), alongside their early life stages, depicting realistic caterpillars crawling among the foliage and stalks. Drawn by the celebrated writer and illustrator \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHenry Noel Humphreys\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and described by the distinguished English entomologist \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJohn Obadiah Westwood\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, this hand-finished lithograph was published in London by William Smith circa \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1843–1845\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e for the foundational volume, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBritish Moths and Their Transformations.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis 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. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJohn Obadiah Westwood\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 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, such as the common hop (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eHumulus lupulus\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) seen here. This aesthetic and educational approach fundamentally changed how the public visualized biology, transforming scientific documentation into a widely sought-after art form during the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVictorian era\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eH 10 ½” x 7” W\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition: In very good condition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ANTONIO RAIMO GALLERY","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55144311030039,"sku":"PR0279-1","price":145.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0668\/3607\/0679\/files\/PR0279-1.1.jpg?v=1788895686","url":"https:\/\/antonioraimogallery.com\/products\/moths-pl-47-by-henry-noel-humphreys","provider":"ANTONIO RAIMO GALLERY","version":"1.0","type":"link"}