Original Hand colored engraving Butterflies & Moths, Cramer hand colored eng, 1779 Papillons Exotique, PL 369

Papillons exotiques des trois parties du monde l'Asie, l'Afrique et l'Amerique/ De uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie werelddeelen Asie, Africa en America.
CRAMER, P. & STOLL, C.
Amsterdam, S.J. Baalde/ N.T. Gravius, 1779-1791. 4 volumes. Large-4to (287 x 225mm). WIth approximatley 400 hand colored engraving. The most beautiful early iconography on exotic butterflies,the work is justly celebrated as the first book on Exotic Butterflies arranged in accordance with the Linnaean system and provided with coloured plates. Pieter Cramer, died 1777 after the eighth installment was ready for press and the publication was continued by Stoll. "By trade Cramer was a Dutch merchant; his company traded in 'Spanish woolens'(sic). He was a man of some wealth, and he indulged quite lavishly his large cabinet of 'natural curiosities'. Cramer corresponded extensively with fellow butterfly-lovers all over Europe and knew of their collections and publications. He became fascinated by the butterflies of the East and West Indies in particular and purchased many specimens for his own collection. Cramer employed the Dutch artist Gerrit Wartenaar Lambertz to paint the specimens both from his own cabinet and many others. some 1,650 different species are illustrated with both the upper and underside of the wings (P. Gilbert, Butterfly Collectors and Painters p. 56). The descriptive text is printed in double columns in Dutch and French. Landwehr 53; Nissen ZBI, 985.

Offered here is one plate from the books described above.

Verso is blank wonderful color looks better in person.