Three Moths, Two Butterflies, and a Bumble Bee

1646

Wenceslaus Hollar

Associated Names
Wenceslaus Hollar

Artist, Bohemian, 1607 - 1677

This is a drawing of various insect illustrations. The drawing features detailed representations of different insects, including a bumblebee and several butterflies and moths. Each insect is depicted with meticulous line work, emphasizing their patterns and wing structures. The insects are arranged in a scattered manner across the page, showcasing a variety of wing shapes and sizes. The upper left corner prominently features a bumblebee with its characteristic fuzzy body and delicate wings, while the surrounding area includes intricately patterned butterflies and moths, each with distinct markings on their wings. The style suggests an emphasis on naturalistic detail.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    plate: 8.1 × 12 cm (3 3/16 × 4 3/4 in.)
    sheet: 8.3 × 12.1 cm (3 1/4 × 4 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.4947

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    New Hollstein, no. 921, State i/iii

  • Series Title

    Muscarum Scarabeorum, Vermiumque Varie Figure & Formae

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Count Giuseppe Archinto [1783-1861], Milan (Lugt 52); Arkady Alferoff [1811-1872], Bonn (Lugt 1727); Rudolf Philip Goldschmidt [c.1840-1914], Berlin (Lugt 2926); (C.G. Boerner, Leipzig, May 7-9, 1928, lot 637); purchased by Lessing J. Rosenwald [1891-1979], 1928; gift to NGA, 1943.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2025

  • Little Beasts: Art Wonder and the Natural World, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2025.

Bibliography

1982

  • Pennington, Richard. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Etched Work of Wenceslaus Hollar 1607-1677. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982, no. 2172, state i/iii.

1996

  • The New Hollstein German Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, 1400-1700. (Wenceslaus Hollar, Simon Turner, author). Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1996-, no. 921, state i/iii.

Inscriptions

in plate, at top center: WHollar fecit ex Collectione / Arundeliana 1646.; verso, lower left, in graphite, by a later hand: P.2172; verso, lower right, in graphite, by a later hand: 637

Wikidata ID

Q65026351

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