Butterflies

This attractive entomology engraving is from Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper’s Die Schmetterlinge in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen. The work was published by Wolfgang Walther between 1777 and 1782 in Erlangen, Germany. Esper completed the original drawings with the engravings being completed by Bock, Sturm, Tyroff, Volkart, & Walbert.

Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper (1742-1810) was a German zoologist and naturalist. He studied botany from a young age, was intending to study theology, but encouraged to pursue natural history by his professor. He was in charge of the Natural History department at Erlanger University. He collected numerous specimens that are now on display in the zoological museum in Munich.