Curator’s Choice: The Study of a Butterfly

The study of insects was growing in popularity during the 18th century when physician and entomologist George Panzer published this small-format reference work with his own brief scientific descriptions. Jacob Sturm engraved the more than 2,600 life-size insects, which, despite their size, were exquisitely detailed. It was issued as a serial publication over a number of years, a common practice for natural history works in the 18th and 19th centuries. This particular piece of artwork is housed in the Museum’s collection of antique natural history prints at the Maximus Gallery.