Curated Transformations & Natural Wonders

Selected original hand-coloured engravings from Jacob L’Admiral’s 1774 work on insect metamorphosis.

Rose Chafer Beetle

Nannoarctia tripartita & Prunus domestica

Nymphalis polychloros & Prunus avium

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

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.