12736 Eleazar Albin (active 1690–1742) – Moths and Caterpillars on Nettle and Willow – Hand-coloured etching (1720)
"To Mountague Gerrard Drake Esqr." illustrates a detailed entomological study featuring two distinct life cycles of moths. The upper portion shows a teal-colored caterpillar feeding on a stinging nettle sprig, while the lower portion displays a brown caterpillar on a willow leaf, a pupa, and two adult moths with varying wing patterns. This hand-coloured etching is from A Natural History of English Insects, published in London in 1720. The work was pioneering in its attempt to systematically classify insects by their developmental stages and their ecological relationship to host plants.
Eleazar Albin was an English natural history illustrator and painter who produced several influential works on insects, birds, and fish. Originally a teacher of watercolor painting, he turned to natural history to provide accurate visual records for the growing community of British scientists and collectors. Albin was known for his meticulous attention to detail and for raising many of the insects he illustrated from larvae to ensure scientific accuracy. His publications were often funded by wealthy subscribers, to whom he dedicated individual plates as seen in the inscription of this work.
Artist or Maker: Eleazar Albin.
Dimensions: Approximately 28 cm x 23 cm.
Medium: Hand-coloured etching.
Date: 1720.
Condition Report:
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.
| Estimate | 200 - 300 SEK |
| Buyers Premium (inc. VAT) | 24.4% |
| Hammer Fee (inc. VAT) | 6 SEK |
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