77/5750 [Butterflies etc.]. Anonymous (early 19th cent.). Album with 170 watercolours of butterflies, caterpillars, flowers and plants, ±1820-1840, each 15,5x12,5 cm., each within a black framing line, contemp. giltlettered cl., 4to.

- Most drawings in very fine condition, some with the following minor defects: some smudging; occas. trifle/ sl. foxed in outer blank margin; 2 drawings w. sm. tear in inner blank margin (not affecting the watercolour); a few lvs. fingersoiled in outer blank margin. Bookblock loose; heraldic bookplate on upper pastedown.

= The skilfully executed and beautiful drawings bear strong resemblance to the 18th and 19th century drawings of butterflies by J.C. or J. Sepp or A.J. Rösel van Rosenhof. The main focus of the drawings is on the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into the butterfly. All on paper with "J. Honig & Zoonen", "J. Kool", "De Ervens Dk Blauw", "J. Kloppenburg", "Van Gelder", a beehive w. Orange tree or the Pro Patria (2 diff. types) watermark. With a silhouette portrait drawing frontisp. of probably the original owner W.D.V. de Graaf (1762-1846), a Utrecht pharmacist. On the backstrip his name and title "Inlandsche Kapellen" are given.Came into possession of the present owner by descent. SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE CXVII.