Argynnis Butterflies antique print. Hand-coloured lithograph. Humphreys c1860.

by Humphreys, H.N.

Striking lithograph. Fritillary Butterflies with Raspberries and Violet.
Insects:  Male Argynnis Papia (Silver-washed Fritillary Butterfly), Female, Underside, Caterpillar, Chrysalis.
Male Argynnis Aglaia (Dark-green Fritillary Butterflyl), Female, Underside, Caterpillar, Chrysalils.
Plants:  Rubus Idaeus (Rasberry), Viola odorata (Sweet Violet).

Original  hand-coloured lithograph arranged and illustrated by H.N. Humphreys Esq., with characters and descriptions by J. O. Westwood, Esq. F.L.S. (secretary of the Entomological Society), for British Butterflies and their Transformations published in London c1849.

Humphreys (1810-1879), was a British naturalist, entomologist, illustrator - and numismatist. His presentation of the butterflies with caterpillar and chrysalis, impressed curators at the British Museum, who adopted this method of illustrating the transformation lifecycle of insects. Humphreys' artwork reflects his study, in Italy, of exquisite medieval manuscripts. He wrote: “The study of natural history is the learning of the characters with which the wonderful story of nature is written.. cannot conceive a more pleasing and natural introduction to its general study than entomology, of which I think the division of Lepidoptera.. the most easy and attractive section.  H. N. Humphreys, Esq.”

Page size, 285 x 210mm (11.25 x 8.25 inches). With faint rubs at right of page and top left corner slightly bent, price reduced.