Jablonsky, Carl Gustav (1756-1787)

Carl Gustav Jablonsky was a naturalist who also served as private secretary to the Queen of Prussia. He edited the first two volumes of “Natursystem aller bekannten in-und auslandischen Insecten”, (Natural History Survey of Insects, Including Related Foreign Ones: Butterflies), published in Germany from 1783-1804, while the remaining nine volumes were edited by Johann Herbst, a German naturalist and entomologist after Jablonsky’s untimely death at age 31. A great number of the plates were drawn by Jablonsky as well, capturing his fascination with nature’s smallest creatures. This work was a major entomological work on exotic and European butterflies, and was originally published with 328 hand colored plates. They combined scientific accuracy with artistic arrangement of the animals, highlighting their natural shapes, colors and decorative patterns.

Prints from this publication are rare, and feature very nice original hand coloring.