Subcategories
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Jacob L’Admiral
Curated Transformations & Natural Wonders
Selected original hand-coloured engravings from Jacob L’Admiral’s 1774 work on insect metamorphosis.
— • —Jacob L’Admiral and the Metamorphosis of Insects – A Dutch Enlightenment Marvel (1774)
Discover original hand-coloured copper engravings from Nauwkeurige Waarneemingen Omtrent de Veranderingen Van Veele Insekten (1774), the landmark Enlightenment work by the Dutch naturalist Jacob L’Admiral. These rare plates depict butterflies, moths, and beetles across their life cycles, often paired with their botanical host plants—uniting scientific observation with refined decorative composition.
Within this collection you will find emblematic species rendered with remarkable clarity: Lepidoptera in transformation, Coleoptera with jewel-like iridescence, and narrative sequences that read almost like a visual laboratory notebook. For collectors, researchers, and design lovers alike, the pairing of insect and host plant creates a distinctive iconography—at once educational and quietly spectacular on the wall.
— • —Buy with Confidence
Original antique prints — carefully selected and professionally preserved- Individually curated — each piece is unique and never a reproduction
- Worldwide delivery via UPS / DHL Premium Express — free above €300
- No customs duties or taxes worldwide — no delays, no extra charges upon delivery
- Secure, professional packaging for safe international delivery
- Returns accepted — a smooth, worry-free experience
— • —Heritage Stories – The World of Metamorphosis
These remarkable engravings belong to an age when naturalists sought to understand the hidden transformations of the insect world. Jacob L’Admiral’s work reflects the Enlightenment fascination with metamorphosis, observation and botanical relationships — bringing together butterflies, moths, beetles and host plants in compositions of extraordinary scientific and decorative power.
This collection brings together antique entomological prints illustrating metamorphosis, host plants, and the refined visual language of 18th-century natural history. Explore the available Jacob L’Admiral engravings below to discover butterflies, moths and beetles — authentic works of Enlightenment science with remarkable cabinet-of-curiosities appeal.
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Lucas Exotic Butterflies
Curated Highlights from the Collection
Selected original hand-coloured engravings from Lucas’ celebrated Exotic Butterflies.
— • —Lucas – Exotic Butterflies: Antique Hand-Colored Engravings of Tropical Lepidoptera
Discover a curated selection of original 19th-century hand-coloured engravings of exotic butterflies, produced under the scientific direction of the French entomologist Hippolyte Lucas. Created during a golden age of natural history publishing, these remarkable plates combine taxonomic precision with the refined aesthetics of classical engraving.
Lucas’ celebrated work Exotic Butterflies illustrates some of the most spectacular tropical Lepidoptera ever documented in nineteenth-century science. Species such as Morpho, Prepona, Hypolimnas, Papilio, and Ornithoptera appear with exceptional clarity, revealing the extraordinary diversity of butterflies from Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
Each engraving presents the butterfly with museum-like precision: the symmetry of the wings, luminous colour contrasts, and delicate scale structures are carefully rendered by master engravers such as Pauquet. The result is a body of work that functions simultaneously as scientific documentation and as refined decorative art.
Today these plates are admired not only by collectors of natural history prints, but also by interior designers and art lovers seeking elegant antique butterfly wall art. Their luminous hand-colouring, balanced compositions, and historical authenticity give them a timeless decorative presence rarely matched by modern reproductions.
— • —Buy with Confidence
Original antique prints — carefully selected and professionally preserved- Worldwide delivery via UPS / DHL Premium Express — free above €300
- No customs duties or taxes worldwide — no delays, no extra charges upon delivery
- Secure, professional packaging for safe international delivery
- Returns accepted — a smooth, worry-free experience
— • —Heritage Stories – Lucas, Pauquet, and the Art of Entomology
These engravings belong to a remarkable moment in the history of science, when the beauty of tropical butterflies was revealed through the precision of engraving and the patience of hand-colouring. Under the scientific direction of Hippolyte Lucas, artists such as Pauquet transformed delicate specimens into enduring images of extraordinary clarity and elegance.
Hippolyte Lucas — Scientific Vision and the Golden Age of Exotic Butterflies Pauquet — The Engraver Behind the Exotic Butterflies Looking for original antique butterfly prints from the 19th century? Explore Lucas’ Exotic Butterflies — hand-coloured entomology engravings featuring rare tropical species admired today both as scientific documents and refined antique butterfly wall art.
La Réunion Swallowtail...
A refined 19th-century hand-colored engraving depicting two forms of the La Réunion Swallowtail (Papilio phorbanta). Published in Hippolyte Lucas’s Exotic Butterflies (1835), the plate captures the striking contrast between deep velvety wings and luminous pale blue markings characteristic of this Indian Ocean species.
Bungii Beetle (*Aromia...
Original 1774 engraving by Jacob L'Admiral: Larvae and Beetles with Ferns.
Blue-banded Eggfly &...
A vivid 19th-century hand-colored engraving depicting two striking tropical butterflies: the Blue-banded Eggfly (Hypolimnas alimena) and the Blue Diadem (Hypolimnas salmacis). Published in Hippolyte Lucas’s Exotic Butterflies (1835), the plate highlights their dramatic contrast of velvety black wings with electric blue bands and delicate white markings.
Large Tortoiseshell...
Original 1774 engraving by Jacob L'Admiral: Large Tortoiseshell on Sweet Cherry.
Clipper Butterflies...
A finely detailed 19th-century hand-colored engraving depicting two forms of the Clipper Butterfly (Parthenos sylvia). Published in Hippolyte Lucas’s Exotic Butterflies (1835), the plate highlights the species’ elegant network of white markings across dark wings, creating a striking geometric pattern characteristic of tropical Asian butterflies.
Magpie Moth (*Abraxas...
Original 1774 engraving by Jacob L'Admiral: Colorful Insects on Flowering Stalk.
Bluebottle Swallowtail...
A vivid 19th-century hand-colored engraving depicting two striking Asian swallowtail butterflies: the Common Bluebottle (Papilio sarpedon) and the Spotted Bluebottle (Papilio bathycles). Published in Hippolyte Lucas’s Exotic Butterflies (1835), the plate highlights their elegant turquoise wing bands set against deep black wings.
Large White (*Pieris...
Original 1774 engraving by Jacob L'Admiral: Ornate Butterfly and Metamorphosis Detail.
Golden & Purple Pansy...
A striking 19th-century hand-colored engraving depicting two tropical pansy butterflies: the Golden Pansy (Junonia callista) and the Purple Pansy (Junonia laomedia). Published in Hippolyte Lucas’s Exotic Butterflies (1835), the plate highlights their dramatic wing contrasts and luminous violet eye-spots.
Kite Swallowtail...
A refined 19th-century hand-colored engraving depicting two elegant kite swallowtails: Eurytides protesilaus and Eurytides agapenor. Published in Hippolyte Lucas’s Exotic Butterflies (1835), the plate highlights their distinctive elongated tails and delicate translucent wings.
Red Twin-spot Carpet...
Original 1774 engraving by Jacob L'Admiral: Red Twin-spot Carpet on Mallow.