Prione (Plate 198) by Robert Bénard

Prione (Plate 198) by Robert Bénard

C. 1797

Hand Colored Engraving

Highlighting a group of large prionine beetles, this captivating antique engraving illustrates several distinct specimens under the French heading Prione (Plate 198). The composition is dominated by an extraordinarily large, intricately detailed beetle featuring massive curved mandibles and a patterned gold-and-black body, surrounded by other specimens rendered in striking shades of teal, deep purple, and rose. This hand-colored copperplate print was produced under the workshop direction of Robert Bénard (marked "Benard Direxit") and published circa 1797 for Charles-Joseph Panckoucke’s definitive scientific series, Histoire Naturelle, Insectes.

This print is derived from the Encyclopédie Méthodique, an ambitious late-18th-century French publishing venture designed to systematically expand and restructure Denis Diderot’s landmark Encyclopédie. As the primary director overseeing the project's technical and natural history illustrations, the prolific French engraver Robert Bénard managed a massive workshop to ensure absolute anatomical precision across thousands of complex plates. This particular engraving stands as an important artifact of the Enlightenment, reflecting a pivotal historical shift when rigorous empirical observation, taxonomy, and fine printmaking combined to catalog the natural world and make biological science accessible to the public.

Dimensions: H 11 ½” x 8” W

Condition: In very good condition