The Aurelian; A Natural History of English Moths and Butterflies. Plate X: The Purple Hair-Streak

Description:

A delightful hand-coloured copper engraving from the rare first edition of The Aurelian, 1766. The plate depicts the 'Purple Hair-Streak' (Quercusia quercus), the 'Silver Lines' (=Green Silver Lines Pseudoips fagana), the 'Pea-Green (=Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, the 'Dun-Bar' (Cosmia trapezina), and the 'Scalloped Winged Broad Bar' (=Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata) showing the various developmental stages on the common oak (Quercus Latifolia. Foot of image, engraved 'Moses Harris ad Vivum', indicating that the drawing was made from living specimens.

Lower margin of each plate includes a dedication to a subscriber or patron, accompanied with the appropriate coat of arms. This dedication reads, 'To the R. Hon'ble Lady Henrietta Alicia Wentworth. This Plate is most humbly Dedicataed by her Ladyship's most obliged & obedient Serv't Moses Harris.'

Moses Harris (1730-c.1788) was an English entomologist, painter, engraver and book illustrator, one of the most celebrated masters of insect portraiture. His most famous work, The Aurelian is considered one of the finest illustrated books of the eighteenth century; it is greatly admired for its artistic and accurate depictions of butterflies and moths, presented in the various stages of their life cycles.

Condition

Hinged onto card window mount. Image 298x230mm, mount 455x355mm.