Butterfly Metamorphosis

This originally hand-colored etching is from Eleazar Albin’s A Natural History of English Insects, Illustrated with a hundred copper plates, curiously engraven from the life… to which are added large notes and many curious observations by W. Derham. This is from the first edition of the work published in London by William and John Innys in 1720.

Eleazar Albin made his living creating watercolors of wealthy collectors cabinets, including Sir Hans Sloane. Sloane’s collection founded the British Museum. The plates were completed by Eleazar as well as his children, Elizabeth and Fortinalus.