Fern Feeding Caterpillar and Moths, Albin Antique Hand-Colored Plate 98, 1720

Caterpillars and moths on a leafy sprig and a fern frond, an original hand colored copper engraving of 1720 from Eleazar Albin's A Natural History of English Insects. The plate has no title caption; the lettering engraved below the image is a dedication in script, with Middle spelled as engraved: "To Edward Jackson of the Midle Temple Esq.r This Plate is humbly dedicated by Eleazar Albin".

The upper group shows a sprig with toothed oval leaves and a slender pale looper caterpillar stretched along a leaf stalk. A moth boldly marked in black, cream and orange sits at the upper left and a finely patterned moth at the right, with a small chrysalis at the left. Below, a single fern frond carries a dark banded caterpillar near the base of its stem, with pale moths drawn in fine outline at the left and right and a second chrysalis at the lower left.

No artist's or engraver's credit is lettered on this sheet beyond Albin's own name in the dedication. The number "98" is written by hand in ink at the top right of the sheet; no engraved plate number is visible. The insects are keyed with small engraved letters (a, b, c and so on); no species names are printed.

The sheet is plate 98 of Eleazar Albin's A Natural History of English Insects, published in London in 1720. The title page of the book reads "A NATURAL HISTORY OF ENGLISH INSECTS, Illustrated with a Hundred Copper Plates, Curiously Engraven from the Life: And (for those who desire it) Exactly Colored by the Author ELEAZAR ALBIN, Painter", with the imprint "LONDON: Printed for the Author, and sold by William and John Innys at the West End of St Paul's. MDCCXX." The book thus offered its plates colored by the author for those who desired it. Albin was a painter and naturalist working in London.

Light uneven toning, browner towards the edges. Marked handling soiling along the bottom, left and top edges. A few small foxing spots in the margin. Slight wear at the bottom right and top left corners.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.