Title: Goliath Bird-Eating Spider and Scorpions: Hand-Colored Engraving from Bertuch's "Bilderbuch für Kinder" (1792)
Description: This hand-colored copperplate engraving from Friedrich Johann Bertuch's renowned "Bilderbuch für Kinder" (1792) showcases detailed depictions of arachnids and scorpions. Featured prominently is the Goliath bird-eating spider (Theraphosa blondi) preying on a hummingbird (Fig. 1), the Italian tarantula (Lycosa tarantula, Fig. 2), the orange spider of Curaçao (Fig. 3), and various scorpion species: Indian (Fig. 4), American (Fig. 5), and European (Fig. 6).
This engraving reflects Bertuch's dedication to blending educational content with artistic craftsmanship, as part of his 12-volume encyclopedia illustrating natural history, science, and more.
Condition: Vibrant hand-coloring, sharp engraving details, and intact edges. Age-toning and minimal foxing are visible, typical of its age, but do not detract from its beauty. A rare and valuable piece, perfect for collectors or display.
Bartele Gallery. Original antique maps, sea charts, engravings and works on paper. This is a plain text rendering of a page that is otherwise built in the browser. The catalogue index is at https://www.bartele.net/catalogue and machine readable notes are at https://www.bartele.net/llms.txt.