Maria Sibylla Merian

folio (550 x 380mm). half title, title page printed in red and black with hand-colored engraved vignettes on the title and final page; 184 hand-coloured engravings on 47 sheets (a few spots, some light even toning, repaired marginal tear just into plate lvii but without loss, one or two other very short and insignificant marginal tears). modern calf preserving earlier calf spine, marbled paper stuck over the top of the covers, uncut (extremities rubbed). provenance: purchased at galerie koller, 24 september 1996, lot 404.

55 x 38 cm

Jul 14, 2023 • Christie's

two volumes, folio (528 x 365mm). first work: half title, title page printed in red and black with hand-colored engraved vignettes on the title and final page; 184 hand-colored engravings on 47 sheets (a few spots, some light even toning). second work: hand-colored engraved frontispiece, hand-colored engraved vignetteon title, 72 full-page hand-colored plates (a few small marginal repairs, some light finger soiling, marginal worming to last few leaves, some offsetting affecting pl. 45). contemporary calf (boards quite abraded and spine perishing, joints tender, endpapers renewed).

52.8 x 36.5 cm

Oct 23, 2022 • Christie's

this copy contains manuscript translations into english of the title-page, merian's preface to the reader, index of plates (all bound at the end of the printed text) and the explanations for each of the plates, which are pasted opposite the relevant plate.

50.7 x 35.5 cm

May 18, 2022 • Sotheby's

the famous treatise on the insects of surinam by the naturalist-artist maria sibylla merian, interleaved with a manuscript translation by writing master william chinnery. born in frankfurt in 1647, merian was the daughter of the engraver matthäus merian and step-daughter of the flower painter jacob marrel. she studied miniature painting under her step-father’s pupil, abraham mignon, and became interested in insects from an early age, capturing and drawing specimens from life. merian’s scientific work is notable for its accurate observation of insect life and transformation in an age when spontaneous generation was still widely accepted. after divorcing her husband, merian and her two daughters spent a period of time living with the labadist religious community at castle waltha, which contained a fine collection of tropical insects brought back from surinam (then dutch guiana) by cornelius van sommerdijk.

48.2 x 33.7 cm

Jan 27, 2021 • Christie's

merian herself adopted the technique of printing her engraved plates in counterproof — whereby prints are taken not from the engraved printing plate but from a freshly printed image — to great effect. counterproofs replicate as closely as possible the original drawing of the artist, since they are oriented in the same direction, show no plate mark, and have only a lightly inked image, making them highly suitable for delicate colouring. what had originally been a utilitarian process became for merian the means to a higher aesthetic end. hand-coloured counterproof copies were painstaking to print, and were commensurately more expensive; their rarity shows that it was one reserved for a few select clients. coloured copies of the erucarum ortus are very rare; only 5 coloured copies have been sold at auction in the past 40 years (abpc/rbh), and landwehr — despite being a previous owner of the present lot — does not record any coloured copies. copies with the plates in counterproof are even rarer. landwehr 135; nissen bbi 1342.

22.5 x 17.6 cm

Dec 9, 2020 • Christie's

2 works bound in one, folio (505 x 360mm). first work: half-title, title printed in red and black, engraved allegorical frontispiece, title-vignette, 184 finely engraved copper plates on 47 leaves after (text lightly spotted, only occasional spots on plates, a little stronger on first few plates, light smear mark between engraving iv and vii); second work: engraved title-vignette, 72 engraved plates after merian by j. mulder, p. sluyter und d. stoopendael, of which 39 are hand-coioured, 2 part-coloured only, and 31 uncoloured (lacking the frontispiece, lightly spotted, occasional light thumb-soiling). contemporary calf gilt (front joints cracked but cords holding, worn). provenance: osbert salvin and frederick du cane godman (joint bookplate).

50.5 x 36 cm

Jul 10, 2019 • Christie's

copper plate engraving

Sep 19, 2017 • Koller Auktionen

Four hand-colored engravings

20 x 15 cm

Oct 26, 2016 • Doyle New York

hand colored engraving

39.5 x 31.5 cm

Dec 10, 2015 • Bloomsbury Auctions

copper engraving with old coloring

32 x 24 cm

Sep 23, 2015 • Historia Auktionshaus

copper engraving with old coloring

35.99 x 29.01 cm

Sep 23, 2015 • Historia Auktionshaus

copper engraving with old coloring

38.99 x 27 cm

Sep 23, 2015 • Historia Auktionshaus

copper engraving with old coloring

32 x 24 cm

Sep 23, 2015 • Historia Auktionshaus

copper engraving with old coloring

32 x 24 cm

Sep 23, 2015 • Historia Auktionshaus

colored copperplate engravings mounted on brownish cardboard

Mar 7, 2015 • Jeschke van Vliet

tempera on parchment

13.49 x 16.99 cm

Nov 26, 2014 • Wannenes

gouache on paper

27.51 x 21.01 cm

Nov 20, 2014 • Galerie Stuker

hand-colored engravings

50.39 x 34.49 cm

Nov 12, 2014 • Bonhams

gouache and watercolor on vellum

40.01 x 30.99 cm

Dec 3, 2013 • Bukowskis

color copper engraving on handmade "la brugua milano" paper

Oct 19, 2013 • Winterberg Kunst

color copper engraving on handmade paper

Oct 19, 2013 • Winterberg Kunst

handcolored engravings

14.71 x 10.21 cm

Oct 1, 2013 • Stockholms Auktionsverk

watercolor and gouache on cardboard

27 x 40.01 cm

Apr 11, 2013 • Hampel Kunstauktionen

gouache on white primed parchment

27.89 x 20.7 cm

Nov 30, 2012 • Galerie Bassenge

gouache

16 x 10.49 cm

May 9, 2012 • Dobiaschofsky

gouache on vellum

35.41 x 25.7 cm

Sep 19, 2011 • Koller Auktionen

goauche on parchment

35.41 x 25.7 cm

Nov 4, 2010 • Dorotheum

works on paper

37.01 x 29.01 cm

Jul 8, 2009 • Sotheby's

works on paper

33.02 x 27.94 cm

Jul 4, 2007 • Sotheby's

works on paper

25.4 x 43.18 cm

Jan 25, 2007 • Christie's

works on paper

33.02 x 45.72 cm

Jan 25, 2007 • Christie's

black lead, watercolor, bodycolor, heightened with gum arabic, on vellum

256 x 425 mm

Jan 25, 2007 • Christie's

black lead, watercolor, bodycolor on vellum

342 x 450 mm

Jan 25, 2007 • Christie's

works on paper

38.1 x 30.48 cm

Jul 9, 2003 • Sotheby's

works on paper

38.1 x 30.48 cm

Jul 9, 2003 • Sotheby's

works on paper

27.94 x 38.1 cm

Jul 7, 1999 • Sotheby's

works on paper

33.02 x 43.18 cm

Jul 7, 1999 • Sotheby's

works on paper

33.02 x 25.4 cm

Jan 10, 1996 • Christie's

works on paper

38.1 x 27.94 cm

Jun 20, 1995 • Fischer

works on paper

38.1 x 27.94 cm

Jul 6, 1993 • Christie's

watercolor heightened with white

38.1 x 30.48 cm

Nov 14, 1988 • Christie's

watercolor heightened with white

38.1 x 30.48 cm

Nov 14, 1988 • Christie's

works on paper

33.02 x 27.94 cm

Nov 30, 1987 • Christie's

works on paper

30.48 x 25.4 cm

Nov 30, 1987 • Christie's

works on paper

22.86 x 17.78 cm

Apr 23, 1987 • Lawrences Auctioneers