Five Butterflies and a Moth

1644-1652

Wenceslaus Hollar

Associated Names
Wenceslaus Hollar

Artist, Bohemian, 1607 - 1677

The image contains six detailed illustrations of butterflies arranged in two rows. The two largest butterflies are positioned at the top left and top right, with their wings displaying dark and light stripes. The color palette is monochrome, primarily black and white. In the first row, a wider butterfly with a spotted pattern occupies the center, flanked by the two striped butterflies. In the second row, three smaller butterflies are depicted with different patterns: one with eye-like spots, one delicate with subtle markings, and one with smaller spots. The arrangement showcases the distinctive wing patterns of each butterfly.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    plate: 11 × 19.8 cm (4 5/16 × 7 13/16 in.)
    sheet: 11.8 × 20.7 cm (4 5/8 × 8 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.4957

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    New Hollstein, no. 1271, State only

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Fritz Rumpf [1856-1927], Potsdam (Lugt 2161); (C.G. Boerner, Leipzig, May 7-9, 1928, lot 638); purchased by Lessing J. Rosenwald [1891-1979], 1928; gift to NGA, 1943.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1971

  • A Selection of 17th Century Intaglio Prints from the National Gallery of Art Rosenwald Collection, New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, 1971-1972, no. 21.

Bibliography

1982

  • Pennington, Richard. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Etched Work of Wenceslaus Hollar 1607-1677. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982, no. 2182, state only.

1996

  • The New Hollstein German Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, 1400-1700. (Wenceslaus Hollar, Simon Turner, author). Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1996-, no. 1271, state only.

Wikidata ID

Q65026361

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