Lepidoptera. Eterusia Tricolor, Erasmia Pulchella, Amesia Sanguiflua engraving c1835

by Lizars, William Home

Lizars engraving. Eterusia, Erasmia, Amesia, Lepidoptera antique print.

Small entomology engraving. Antique Print of Saturnia Maia. 

Original hand coloured steel engraving by Edinburgh engraver William Home Lizars (1788-1859), published circa 1834 for the great Scottish naturalist and ornithologist, Sir William Jardine's The Naturalist's Library.

After his father Daniel Lizars died, W.H. Lizars took over his artist-engraver-publisher's business. William Lizars had already established a reputation as a fine engraver. For Jardine (whose daughter Lizars married) he engraved around 4,000 small portraits of fauna. the butterflies stand out clearly against the uncoloured backgroun - which was a stroke of genius - and no doubt saved a lot of time and effort.

Size of engraving is 18 x 10cm (7 x 4 inches)