Twig Caterpillar and Pale Moths on a Thorny Branch, Albin Plate 94, 1720

Twig-like caterpillars and two pale moths on thorny branches, 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 Thomas Frankland Esq.r This Plate is humbly dedicated by Eleaz.r Albin."

A brown branch set with small thorns crosses the upper half, carrying toothed leaves, one of them washed in blue at the upper right. A thin brown caterpillar hangs stiffly from a leaf stalk like a broken twig. Pale moths with angular, pointed wings are set at the left and right. The lower half carries an upright stem with toothed leaves, several bitten into and some washed in blue, with a second twig-like caterpillar held out from a side shoot and a dark red chrysalis at the lower right.

No artist's or engraver's credit is lettered on this sheet beyond Albin's own name in the dedication. The number "94" 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 94 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 left edge. Slight wear at the bottom right and top left corners. Minor edge wear, shallow nicks along the right.

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