Archetypa studiaque patris Georgii Hoefnagelii Iacobus F. genio duce ab ipso scalpta, omnibus philomusis amica D: ac perbenique communicat. I. Chr. Weigel excudit. Plate 1.8.

Frankfurt am Main, 1592. Small oblong folio (18.0 x 27.0 cm). Single plate, finely and beautifully hand-coloured. = A fine plate of this very rare work which comprises four parts with 48 plates in all. All plates are very uncommon, if not rare. This plate illustrates two white tulips, a green frog, a blue dragonfly, several moths, a garden spider, etc. This work is generally renowned for its finely executed entomological illustrations. Joris (Georgius) Hoefnagel (1542-1601) produced the Archetypa during his 'Frankfurt period' which was between 1591 and 1594. "The Archetypa were engraved as a reproduction of a collection of models and served in turn as a pattern book for other artists" (quote from Archetypa Studiaque Patris. Nature, Poetry and Science in Art around 1600, by Thea Vignau-Wilberg, Staatliche Graphische Sammlung München, 1994). Very proffesional old paper repairs to the left margin, hardly visible. Some weak creasing, otherwise a fine, strong and accurately coloured print. Hollstein, IX, 17-64; Horn-Schenkling, 10472; Nissen ZBI, 1954.