Zoologie
Esper, Eugen Johann Christoph
Die ausländische oder die ausserhalb Europa zur Zeit in den übrigen Welttheilen vorgefundene Schmetterlinge in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen. Erster Theil (= alles Erschienene). Mit 63 kolorierten Kupfertafeln. 1 Bl., 254 S. Folio. Hldr. Zt. (Kapitale lädiert, Gelenke an den Kapitalen angeplatzt, berieben und Ecken bestoßen) mit RVergoldung und goldgeprägtem RSchild. Erlangen, Wolfgang Walther, 1801.
Horn & Schenkling 6085, Nissen ZBI, 1317. - Nissen, ZBI 1317. - Erste Ausgabe. Überaus prachtvolles Werk mit den fein kolorierten Tafeln nach Zeichnungen von Esper. Unter den Stechern sind J. C. Bock, J. G. Sturm, H. J. Tyroff etc. Die Tafeln zeigen bis zu vier verschiedene Schmetterlinge, teilweise mit ihren Raupen und Puppen. Das nuancenreiche Kolorit der Kupfer zeigt die Flügel jeweils von der Außen- sowie der Innenseite, diese teils mit metallisch-glänzenden Höhungen versehen und in variationsreicher Oberflächengestaltung. Einge Tafeln sind zusätzlich mit Raupen- und Pflanzendarstellungen illustriert, um so die Metamorphose und das Habitat der Schmetterlinge anzudeuten. "With Esper a real scholar arrives on the scene, and while so far we have seen a constant rise in the artistic quality of illustration, we are now aware for the first time of the so-called scientific approach, which did so much damage to Europ's culture in the nineteenth century. Esper did not hesitate to show one wing of inherently beautiful butterflies as seen from above, and the other one as seen from below" (Pfeiffer). 1830 erschien in Leipzig bei Weigel eine mit Zusätzen erweiterte Titelauflage. - Titelblatt minimal braunfleckig, einige Blatt mit Wasserfleck im unteren Rand, zwei Blatt mit Knickspur. Schönes und vollständiges Exemplar, prächtig koloriert. - Beigebunden: Friedrich Eugenius Esper. Beobachtungen an einer neuentdeckten Zwitterphaläne des Bombyx Crataegi. 20 S. Mit kolorierter Kupfertafel. Erlangen, Wolfgang Walther, 1778. - VD18 1445761X-004. - Erste Ausgabe der kleinen Spezialmonographie. - Wohlerhalten, Titel mit hs. Korrektur des Verfassers.
Zoology. - With 63 coloured engraved plates. - A fine complete copy of this beautifully hand-colored classical work on "butterfly" showing rare butterfly from all over the world. bound with: Friedrich Eugenius Esper. Beobachtungen an einer neuentdeckten Zwitterphaläne des Bombyx Crataegi. Erlangen, Wolfgang Walther, 1778. 20 pp. with colored engraved plate - VD18 1445761X-004. "With Esper a real scholar arrives on the scene, and while so far we have seen a constant rise in the artistic quality of illustration, we are now aware for the first time of the so-called scientific approach, which did so much damage to Europe's culture in the nineteenth century. Esper did not hesitate to show one wing of inherently beautiful butterflies as seen from above, and the other one as seen from below' (Pfeiffer). Still, even Pfeiffer admits that this method offered new possibilities of comparative evaluation to the scholar, and Esper cannot be denied a strong artistic gift, which was greatly helped by the Nuremberg engraver Johann Carl Bock (fl. 1757-1806). During a stay in the Low Countries Bock was encouraged even more by artists of the school of Maria Sibylla Merian, who had formerly worked in Nuremberg" (Nissen, Bestiaries pp. 71-72). Its fine plates are exceptionally delicately hand-colored and engraved by Bock, Sturm, Tyroff, Volkart, Walbert, a.o. after Esper's own drawings. Eugen Johann Christoph Esper (1742-1810) was a German entomologist and phycologist, professor at Erlangen and director of the Natural History Museum. His other major works are 'Icones Fucorum' published from 1797-1808 and 'Die Pflanzthiere' published from 1788-1830. He obtained his doctorate of philosophy with help of Casimir Christoph Schmidel at the university of Erlangen in 1781 with a thesis entitled De varietatibus specierum in naturale productis. The following year, he started to teach at the university initially as extraordinary professor, a poorly paid position, then in 1797 as the professor of philosophy. He directed the department of natural history in Erlangen from 1805. Thanks to him the university collections of minerals, birds, shells and insects grew very rapidly. During his leisure hours Esper devoted himself to the study of nature and the preparation of manuscripts relating to natural history. He was the author of a series of booklets entitled Die Schmetterlinge in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen which were published between 1776 and 1807. These were richly illustrated, minerals, birds, plants, shells and insects being presented on hand-coloured plates. Esper's collection is today in the Zoologische Staatssammlung München . Title page minimally brown spotted, some leaves with waterstain at lower margin, two leaves with crease marks. Nice and complete copy, splendid colouring.
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