De Europische Insecten, Naauwkeurig onderzogt, na' t leven geschildert, en in print gebragt door Maria Sibilla Merian...

Article description

2 leaves, 84 pp.; engraved title- and end-vignette in text, 184 engravings on 47 leaves. First folio edition. Primary leaf (De Europische Insecten), title printed in red and black with hand colored vignette. Illustrated with 184 carefully finely hand colored engravings printed on 47 leaves. Each of the engravings show mostly scenes of decorative flowers and various caterpillars with their appropriate butterflies. The plates originate after Maria Sybilla Merian's own observations and were published for the first time in her 'Raupenbuch', a quart-edition between 1679 und 1717. Maria Sybilla Merian belonged to the first scientists, who watched the insects in a systematic order and she also took a significant part in the investigation of the metamorphosis of the butterflies. With the publication of her books the new knowledge was spread out to a larger circle of the population lived in those days. Theis example is very well preserved, the engravings are probably later colored and are printed on Dutch paper with wide margins in excellent quality. This is the first folio edition and the first appearance of the full suite of Maria Sybilla Merian's plates of the European insects, the companion and complement to her great Surinam work. It is as remarkable for its botanical as for its entomological content: the insects are presented in different stages of metamorphosis on and around flowers. In addition, some Surinamese insects are figured as well, these deriving from Johanna's drawings. Finely hand colored throughout, occasionally minor spotting in text or margins. Rebound in a wine red calf binding, the spine in seven compartments and richly gilt, the covers with decorative blind stamping with gilt fillets to board and spine.

De Belder 238 II; Great Flower Books p. 67; Nissen BBI 1342;