Pollux & Eurilochus Butterflies – Original Hand-Colored Engraving by Pauquet, Exotic Butterflies (1835)

Pollux & Eurilochus: Electric Blue and Golden Contrast in Exotic Lepidoptera

This original 1835 hand-colored copper engraving depicts two remarkable exotic butterflies identified on the plate as Pollux and Eurilochus. The plate forms part of Exotic Butterflies, produced under the scientific direction of Hippolyte Lucas and drawn and engraved by Pauquet.

Presented in a balanced vertical composition against a clean ground, the two specimens create a vivid dialogue of colour and form. The engraving reflects the refined visual language of nineteenth-century natural history illustration, where scientific clarity and decorative elegance were deliberately intertwined.

Beyond its scientific interest, the plate also possesses a strong decorative presence, making it especially appealing today as antique butterfly wall art for interiors shaped by a taste for natural history, colour, and historical refinement.

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Visual and Aesthetic Analysis

The upper butterfly displays a dramatic arrangement of deep chestnut-brown wings crossed by brilliant golden-yellow bands and markings. Darker hindwings, touched with pale blue spots near the margins, create an unusually rich and theatrical chromatic balance.

Below, the second specimen unfolds an intense electric blue across the wings, edged with warm ochre-gold along the margins and set against a warm brown body. The contrast between the glowing upper specimen and the cool brilliance of the lower one gives the composition exceptional decorative force, while Pauquet’s engraving preserves the delicate venation and structural precision of each insect.

About the Species

Exotic butterflies of this kind fascinated nineteenth-century naturalists for their large wings, bold colour contrasts, and striking ornamental presence. Such species were especially admired in European collections, where rarity and visual splendour often went hand in hand.

Illustrated works such as Lucas’s Exotic Butterflies allowed scholars and collectors to study remarkable specimens from distant regions of the world. Plates like this one served not only as scientific records but also as enduring works of natural history art.

Condition Report

Very good antique condition. Fresh and vibrant original hand-coloring with strong engraved impression. Printed on fine original nineteenth-century laid paper. Minor age toning consistent with the 1835 publication. It is increasingly rare to find impressions preserved with such freshness of color and overall integrity.

Details

• Scientific direction: Hippolyte Lucas
• Artist & engraver: Pauquet
• Work: Exotic Butterflies
• Species: Pollux & Eurilochus
• Year: 1835
• Technique: Original copper engraving, entirely hand-colored
• Paper: Original 19th-century laid paper
• Watermark: None present
• Sheet size: approx. 24 × 15 cm