E.J.C. Esper Butterfly Prints Die Schmetterlinge 1777

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Title Page ESB001 SOLD	Title Page ESB002 SOLD


Catocala conjuncta, Underwing Moth ESB4100 $95	Arctia purpurea Moth ESB365 $95	Endromis versicolora Moth ESB323 $95


Arctia hebe Moth ESB334 $115	Catocala pacta & conjucta Moths ESB499 $115	Catocala sponsa, Underwing Moth ESB495 $95


Lasiocampa pruni Moth ESB310 $95	Catocala elocata, Underwing Moth ESB499A $115	Bombyx trifolii Moth ESB315 $95


Bombyx catax & lanestris Moths ESB317 $95	Agrotis triphaena fimbria Moth ESB4103 $95	Lasiocampa pini Moth ESB312 SOLD


Bombyx quercus, Crateronyx dumi Moths ESB314 $95	Lasiocampa quercifolia Moth ESB306A SOLD	Bomb. Caiae Moths ESB332 $95

Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper was schooled from an early age to study botany by his father and later encouraged by his professor to change his studies from theology to natural history. After graduation, he worked at Erlanger University in charge of the Natural History department where he also amassed a fine collection of specimens, now in the zoological museum in Munich..

He published many works, including the most comprehensive work on butterflies of the time, Die Schmetterlinge in Abbildungen, from 1777-1794. We are fortunate to have located a few fragments from this work, beautifully anotated in an old copperplate hand as shown, by an individual with extensive knowledge in the field. The complete life cycle of each butterfly is shown, creating both a work of art and a scientific record based on the Linnaen system. Each print is in excellent condition with orginal hand coloured copper plate engravings on chain lined paper with little foxing, measuring 8 inches wide by 9 ¼ inches long.