Moths and Caterpillars on a Narrow Leaved Sprig and Oak, Albin Plate 72, 1720

Moths and caterpillars on a narrow leaved sprig and an oak twig, 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: "To Mrs Rachel Schutz Wife of the Hon: Col. John Schutz. This Plate is humbly dedicated by Eleaz.r Albin."

Above, a sprig with long, narrow leaves carries a pale caterpillar banded in dark gray stretched along the stem. At the upper left a moth spreads orange wings bordered in gray, and at the right a broader moth shows orange hindwings banded in black. A dark red chrysalis lies at the left between the groups. Below, an oak twig with deeply lobed leaves carries a small green caterpillar on one leaf, with a small green moth above it, a slender wasp-like insect with a long tail at the upper left, further moths at the foot of the twig 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 "72" 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 72 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. Handling soiling along the bottom and left edges. A few small foxing spots in the margin. Slight wear at the top left corner. Minor edge wear, shallow nicks along the right.

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