Lovely Lifecycle lithograph of Vanessa Butterflies Lifecycle. Humphreys c1849.

by Humphreys, H.N.

Antique print of Butterflies and their Transformations.
Insects. 1. Vanessa Io Butterfly (Peacock Butterfly), 2. under-side, 3. Caterpillar, 4. Chrysalis, 5. Vanessa Antiopa Butterfly (Camberwell Beauty), 6. Caterpillar.
Plants. 8. Salix Russelliana (Bedford Willow), 9 & 10. Uritca dioica (Stinging Nettle).

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 is 285 x 210mm (11.25 x 8.25 inches). Slightly off-centre of page, paper rubbed at top right, small rust mark at right.