Blue & Orange Butterflies – Antique Hand-Colored Engraving (1835)

Blue Emperor & Orange-Banded Butterflies (Apatura iphiclus, laurentia, gelania) – Antique Hand-Colored Engraving (1835)

€255.00

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Striking butterflies with iridescent blue, green, and warm orange tones. A bold 1835 engraving with exceptional decorative presence.

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Authentic antique prints

Original engravings from the 17th–19th century.

Description
Product Details

Blue Emperor & Orange-Banded Butterflies: Iridescent Contrast in Exotic Lepidoptera

This original 1835 hand-colored copper engraving depicts three striking butterflies, historically identified as Apatura iphiclus, Apatura laurentia, and Apatura gelania. The plate belongs to the celebrated Exotic Butterflies series directed by Hippolyte Lucas and engraved by Pauquet.

The composition is defined by a rich interplay of warm brown tones, vivid orange accents, and a remarkable central specimen illuminated by iridescent blue and green bands. This chromatic contrast creates a bold and highly decorative visual effect.

With its strong color contrasts and balanced vertical arrangement, this engraving is particularly suited as antique butterfly wall art, offering a refined yet powerful visual statement.

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Visual and Aesthetic Analysis

The upper butterfly introduces the composition with warm orange and white markings set against finely patterned brown wings, creating a richly structured opening.

The central specimen becomes the focal point of the plate, its luminous blue and green bands producing an almost iridescent effect that adds depth, brilliance, and immediate visual appeal.

The lower butterfly reinforces the composition with vivid yellow and orange markings on dark wings, completing a dynamic progression of color and contrast.

About the Species

Butterflies historically associated with Apatura and related brush-footed groups were admired for their expressive wing structures and rich chromatic variation.

Their combination of structural elegance and vivid coloration made them particularly attractive subjects for nineteenth-century natural history illustration.

This engraving reflects that fascination, uniting iridescent brilliance and warm ornamental patterning within a single harmonious composition.

Heritage Stories

This engraving is part of the renowned Lucas – Exotic Butterflies series, published in 1835 during the golden age of natural history illustration.

Learn more in our article: Hippolyte Lucas and Exotic Butterflies.

The engraving was executed by Pauquet, whose refined technique allowed both vivid contrasts and iridescent tonal effects to be rendered with exceptional clarity: Pauquet: Master Engraver.

Condition Report

Very good antique condition. Rich, well-preserved hand-coloring with strong blues, greens, oranges, and browns. Printed on original nineteenth-century paper. Minor age toning consistent with age. Examples with such chromatic richness and visual impact are increasingly difficult to find.

Details

Scientific direction: Hippolyte Lucas
Artist & engraver: Pauquet
Work: Exotic Butterflies
Species: Apatura iphiclus, Apatura laurentia, Apatura gelania
Year: 1835
Technique: Original copper engraving, hand-colored
Paper: Original 19th-century paper
Watermark: None visible
Sheet size: approx. 24 × 15 cm

Reference YC4

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