Mottled Moths and Twig Caterpillars, Albin Antique Hand-Colored Plate 92, 1720

Mottled moths and their caterpillars on two leafy sprigs, 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 Henry Cartwright Esq.r This Plate is humbly dedicated by Eleaz.r Albin."

Above, a sprig with smooth oval leaves carries two slender caterpillars along its twigs, one reddish brown and one dark gray spotted with white. A boldly mottled black and white moth spreads its wings at the upper left and a second at the right, with a dark red chrysalis at the left. Below, a sprig with toothed leaves carries a further slender caterpillar held stiffly out from the stem, with pale moths striped in fine lines 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 "92" is written by hand in ink at the top left 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 92 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 bottom right and top left corners.

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