Delicately hand-coloured Pretty Butterflies. Engraved antique print c1848

by Goldsmith, Oliver

Lovely butterflies antique print. Oliver Goldsmith, c1848.

Original steel engraving for Goldsmith’s A History of the Earth and Animated Nature. First published in London in 1774, this engraving was published by Fullarton & Company in 1848.  It has later hand-colour, and whereas Goldsmith's early illustrations usually had coloured images against uncoloured backgrounds. This engraving has been softly coloured at a later date.

Intending to translate Pliny's 'Natural History', Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) instead compiled his own work on all that was known about planet earth. The first edition of his enormous work was published in London the year he died. With beautiful hand-coloured illustrations it was a popular publication and was re-issued many times over the following years.

To the border measures 140 x 225mm (5.1/2 x 8.7/8 inches). This print has been reduced in price because we notice that the modern watercolour is faintly smudged at top left.