De natuurlyke historie der insecten; voorzien met naar 't leven getekende en gekoleurde plaaten [...].

9 parts in 9 vol. (incl. "Vervolg"), 4to: [48]-280, [4]-281/568-[8], [12]-251-[1], [4]-253/580-[8], [4]-265-[1], [8]-267/573-[6], [12]-xxxi-[4]-220, [2]-xxvi-260, 240 pp.; 359 pl. (general good condition, some pp. loose or loosening, min. spotting).

Contemp. red half calf, marbled paper on covers, gilt-orn. flat spines (general good condition, covers sl. rubbed and corners sl. bumped). partly uncut copy in fine condition.

Rare Dutch edition of the famous coloured plate books on butterflies and other insects by the Nürnberg painter Rösel von Rosenhof (1705-1759), translated from the German "Der monatlich-herausgegebenen Insecten-Belustigung" (1st, Nüremberg, 1740-1761) and enlarged by C.F.C. Kleemann (1735-1789), son-in-law of the author, both in text and in plates. Entomologist, painter and art dealer Kleemann, and his wife Katharina Barbara Rösel von Rosenhof, personally coloured all the plates for this edition. Our set contains 9 parts in as many vol. incl. the rare unfinished supplement ("Vervolg")). Illustrated with 3 engr. front. by Martin Tyroff after Johann Justin Preisler (part 1), by Aug. Joh. Rösel (part 2), by A.J. Rösel after Nicol. Gabler (part 3), an author's portrait and 359 plates (on 287 leaves) of insects, all beautifully coloured by hand. The rare unfinished supplement ("Vervolg"), probably published between 1788 and 1794, with 240 pp. and without title-page (Landwehr mentions 3 states each with 190 pp.) and illustrated with the 26+2 pl. by C.F.C. Kleemann. The biography of the author is by the hand of Kleemann, the index by A.A. Van Moerbeek. Although not complete, this set is still a very attractive copy of one of the most beautiful German works on insects of the period.
Ref. Nissen (ZBI) 3467 (3 front., 1 portr., but only 356 pl. on 286/288 ll. incl. the "Vervolg"). - Landwehr (Dutch books with coloured plates) 161 (3 front., 1 portr., 384 pl. on 314 ll.; unclear collation, with some gaps and/or mistakes especially in sections "Scarabeae terrestres" and "Papiliones nocturnes"). - BnF. - STCN.
Prov. J. Visser (stamp in final vol.). - Le Tellier (bookpl. in the 3rd vol.).