Group of Six Insects

Beautiful depictions of the metamorphoses of butterflies, continuing the fine Dutch tradition of insect illustration begun by Maria Sibylla Merian.

L'Admiral (1700-1770), was a gifted amateur entomologist who had studied insects since the age of ten. A year after his death, his collection of butterflies and other insects was sold in auction. This included the original copper plates from the first edition (1740) of of his work Naauwkeurige Waarneemingen omtrent de Veranderingen van Veele Insekten ... These were augmented by a further eight plates which had been borrowed from L'Admiral by Dr.M Houttuyn, for the butterfly section of his edition of Linnaeus. Thus the 1774 edition was the first complete edition of L'Admiral's engravings.

In total L'Admiral illustrated seventy metamorphoses on thirty-three etched plates. These engravings show the butterflies, their larvae and food plants. L'Admiral drew and etched all the plates themselves.