Plate CCCXXXII

Plate CCCXXXII by Anonymous Artist

C. 1782

Hand Colored Engraving

Ten butterfly species labeled A through L are systematically arranged in pairs and along a central axis in this hand-colored copperplate engraving (plate CCCXXXII). The composition is highlighted by two small hairstreak butterflies with delicate tail filaments showing a vivid electric blue upper side (Fig. A) beside a dark grey underside view (Fig. B), as well as a striking blue-and-black riodinid butterfly (Fig. C) paired with its cream-and-brown ventral view (Fig. D). Surrounding these are several intricately patterned checker-spot species displayed in both dorsal and ventral perspectives (Figs. E/F, G/H, and central figures I, K, and L). Drawn and engraved by Dutch illustrator Gerrit Wartenaar Lambertz, this original print dates to 1782 and measures approximately 11 1/2 by 9 inches.

This plate comes from Pieter Cramer’s landmark entomological work, De uitlandsche kapellen (The Exotic Butterflies Occurring in the Three Parts of the World: Asia, Africa, and America), published in Amsterdam between 1775 and 1782. Cramer’s masterwork was the first entomological publication to utilize the Linnaean system for exotic butterflies and moths, establishing new scientific nomenclature while celebrating global biodiversity during the height of 18th-century exploration. Illustrated by Lambertz and finished with fine hand coloring, plates from this series remain foundational milestones in scientific illustration, prized for their artistic beauty, historical importance, and contribution to early taxonomic science.

Dimensions: H 11 ½ ” x 9” W

Condition: In excellent condition