Premier Auction - Session I
Fri, Sep 16, 2022 09:00AM EDT
Lot 665
Maria Sibylla Merian
Estimate: $1,000 - $2,000
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $100 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $200 |
| $3,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
(German, 1647?1717)
Common or Spectacled Caiman with South American False Coral Snake, circa 1705-1710, from a posthumous 18th century edition of Dissertatio de Generatione et Metamorphasibus Insectorum Surinamensium, later hand colored engraving, sheet 20-1/2 x 14-1/2 in.; modern ripple molding frame, 33-3/8 x 27-7/8 in.
Note: In a note from the Royal Collection Trust on the original watercolor of this subject they state, "Merian collected many reptiles during her visit to Suriname (1699-1701) and was planning to publish a volume on Surinamese reptiles if her book on Surinamese insects (Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, 1705) proved popular. Although the Metamorphosis was a success, her plan for a second book was never realized. Posthumous editions of the Metamorphosis, however, included a version of this image alongside the sixty plates which Merian had published." (see: https://www.rct.uk/collection/921218/common-or-spectacled-caiman-with-south-american-false-coral-snake)
Provenance: A du Pont Family Collection
Condition
hinged in, small loss in margin and pencil inscription lower right, some handling grime, hand coloring a fantastic interpretation of the original, small stains,
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