The Old Print Shop

Vertumnus. c. Vertumnus. d.e. Polydamas. f.g. Sesostris. Plate CCXL.

  • ARTIST: Pieter Cramer

  • PUBLISHER: Published in Amsterdam by S. J. Baalde and N. T. Gravius.

  • MEDIUM: Copper plate engraving,

    DATE: c. 1778

  • EDITION SIZE: Paper size 11 3/4 x 9 1/4" (29.8 x 23.5 cm).

  • DESCRIPTION: Vertumnus. c. Vertumnus. d.e. Polydamas. f.g. Sesostris. Plate CCXL. Pieter Cramer (1721–c.1779), a Dutch wool merchant and entomologist, assembled an extensive collection of butterflies and moths that became the foundation for one of the most influential 18th-century entomological works. He commissioned Gerrit Wartenaar Lambertz to prepare drawings, which were then engraved and published in De Uitlandsche Kapellen Voorkomende in de Drie Waereld-Deele Asia, Africa en America… / Papillons Exotiques des Trois parties du Monde: l’Asie, l’Afrique et l’Amerique. Issued between 1775 and 1782, the series presented exotic butterflies in finely engraved plates enhanced with original hand coloring. Plate CCXL depicts several species identified as Vertumnus, Polydamas, and Sesostris, each carefully rendered to highlight the variety of wing shapes, colors, and markings. As with the other plates in the series, it reflects the blend of scientific precision and artistic craftsmanship that makes Cramer’s work a cornerstone of natural history illustration.

  • ADDITIONAL INFO: This piece is in a 10 x 13 inch archival mylar for handling.

  • CONDITION: Good condition with original color.

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