18th Century Prints

HMS Grafton was a British Royal Navy ship active during the 18th century. The ship’s history is part of the broader narrative of British naval operations during a period marked by co...

This print is from "Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna," which is a significant work depicting Sweden during its era as a great power. The collection of engravings...

Artist or Maker: Johann Wilhelm Weinmann Title: "Laburnum, seu Anasyris flore luteo" Medium: Colored etching Catalog Number: N.655 This image is an colored etching from J.W. Weinman...

This image is an antique copper engraving with the title "A View in the Island of Pines," created by William Hodges. William Hodges was an English painter who is known for his work a...

Two authentic engravings on one sheet, also from "Bankes's New System of Geography," published by royal authority, which suggests a similar time frame to the previous engravings, lik...

The engraving provided is a hand-colored work by the artist and engraver, Johannes or Johan van der Aveelen,. He worked on engravings for Erik Dahlbergh’s project, "Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna," which was a grand collection of engravings...

The uploaded authentic engraving for sale portrays a scene of interaction between European explorers and indigenous peoples, identified by the caption as occurring at "Port des Franç...

An antique engraving depicting a dance scene titled "An Exact Representation of a Dance in Otaheite," Otaheite being an archaic name for Tahiti in French Polynesia. This engraving would have been created as a part of a series to document the culture and life of the Tahitian people, likely observed by European explorers during one of the many voyages to the South Pacific in the 18th century. In the foreground, there are central figures engaged in a dance, wearing traditional Polynesian attire, which includes wraps around their waists and adornments that seem to represent status or a part of the dance costume. They are holding what appear to be fans, which may be part of the traditional dance. The dancers' poses suggest movement and a performance aspect to the scene. Behind the dancers, we can see a group of musicians providing the accompaniment, playing drums, which indicates the importance of music and rhythm in the dance. To the right, there is an audience of seated individuals, likely members of the community, watching the performance. The background of the scene includes thatched huts and a lush landscape with palm trees, depicting a typical village setting in Tahiti. The checkerboard pattern on the ground where the dance takes place is notable, as it adds a sense of structure to the scene. This image would have been intended for a European audience unfamiliar with Tahitian culture and would have served as a visual record of the encounters between European explorers and the peoples of the Pacific Islands. The engraving you've uploaded, titled "An Exact Representation of a Dance in Otaheite," is likely from a work documenting the voyages of Captain James Cook, given the style and subject matter. Captain Cook made three voyages to the Pacific Ocean during the 18th century, and his encounters with the peoples of the Pacific, including those of Tahiti (Otaheite), were extensively recorded and published. The engravings from Cook's voyages were made by artists who accompanied him, such as John Webber on his third voyage, or were based on sketches made by other crew members. These images were then published in the official accounts of the voyages. The most notable of these accounts is "A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean" undertaken during Cook's third voyage from 1776 to 1780, which was published in the years following his death in 1779. Another possible source for this engraving could be from the accounts of Joseph Banks. Banks was a naturalist who joined Cook on his first voyage (1768-1771) aboard the HMS Endeavour and was responsible for extensive collections and descriptions of Pacific cultures. His collections and later works also included illustrations and engravings of the scenes and peoples encountered. Given that the engraving is labeled as "London Published as the Act directs by Alexr. Hogg at the Kings Arms...

The image is an original antique engraving from "Bankes's New System of Geography," which depicts "A Man of the Sandwich Islands Dancing." The term "Sandwich Islands" was the name gi...

Copper engraving from Thomas Bankes’s “New System of Geography” published by Royal Authority c.1775 This engraving for sale depicts a scene of Karakakooa Bay in Owyhee (Hawaii), whe...

From Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published 1705 Engravings by J. Mulder, P. Sluyter (Sluiter) and D. Stoopendaal after Maria Sybilla Merian. This plate is part of a comprehensive collection comprising 17 plates. Check out other listings to view the entire series. 1964 Hoffman and Campe Verlag, Hamburg Complete production Mladinska Knjiga, Ljubljana/Yugoslavia. This 1964 official reproduction table come from the editions: Dissertation sur la génération et les transformations des insectes de Surinam, The Hague, Pierre Gosse, 1726, and Over de Voortteeling en Wonderbaerlyke Veranderingen der Surinaamsche insects, Amsterdam, Jean Frederic Bernard, 1730. BATATE AND SPINNER A rich engraving, the diversity depicted is introduced by the unusual duality of the forage plants. The climbing plant with the blue morning glory flower and the underground tuber is in fact a convolvulaceae, the Ipomoea batatas, sweet potato or batate, which is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics. The yellow-flowered herb is a relative of bananas, a Heliconia, whose species could not be determined. The juxtaposition of the towering and twining growth, the lower, self-contracted tuber and the upper, bright, differentiated flower. A tropical bug flies towards the top left. At the top right is a spider caterpillar with a cocoon - an error on the part of the author that she let the bug emerge from the web. Below are two caterpillars, the pupa and two butterflies of a dioptid, a family of about five hundred similar species that inhabits America. Here too, definitions are only possible with anatomical examination, as the species imitate each other, predominantly with red-black markings. Maria Sibylla...

This original antique print is an engraving titled "The Murder of CAPT. COOK at O-Why-e-e." This historical print depicts the moment of Captain James Cook...

Original antique engraving of 'Westras' or Västerås in Sweden The location referred to in the print is likely "Westras," which seems to be a historic name or variant spelling relate...

From Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published 1705 Engravings by J. Mulder, P. Sluyter (Sluiter) and D. Stoopendaal after Maria Sybilla Merian. This plate is part of a comprehensive collection comprising 17 plates. Check out other listings to view the entire series. 1964 Hoffman and Campe Verlag, Hamburg Complete production Mladinska Knjiga, Ljubljana/Yugoslavia. This 1964 official reproduction table come from the editions: Dissertation sur la génération et les transformations des insectes de Surinam, The Hague, Pierre Gosse, 1726, and Over de Voortteeling en Wonderbaerlyke Veranderingen der Surinaamsche insects, Amsterdam, Jean Frederic Bernard, 1730. BANANA FRUIT AND CALIGO Another banana, but this time only with one and a half fruits and pushed to the side, not a filled-in sheet, but more of a sketch. The lizard cannot be identified; note its eggs and the young animal; it is also an attempt to accept the whole of creation. The butterfly, perhaps the most beautiful that Maria Sibylla...

This original antique print depicts an antique hand-colored engraving of the Bååtska Palatset in Stockholm, Sweden, illustrated by Erik Dahlbergh. The Bååtska Palatset is a notable...

Title: "Drottningholm Palace: East and West Views by Dahlbergh, 1707" Description: This exquisite antique print from c. 1707, crafted by the renowned Swedish military officer and ca...

From Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published 1705 Engravings by J. Mulder, P. Sluyter (Sluiter) and D. Stoopendaal after Maria Sybilla Merian. This plate is part of a comprehensive collection comprising 17 plates. Check out other listings to view the entire series. 1964 Hoffman and Campe Verlag, Hamburg Complete production Mladinska Knjiga, Ljubljana/Yugoslavia. This 1964 official reproduction table come from the editions: Dissertation sur la génération et les transformations des insectes de Surinam, The Hague, Pierre Gosse, 1726, and Over de Voortteeling en Wonderbaerlyke Veranderingen der Surinaamsche insects, Amsterdam, Jean Frederic Bernard, 1730. PASSION FLOWER AND INSECTS A leaf filled with life, a small cosmos, a square without a blank space, once again the dominance of the plant, Passiflora laurifolia, i.e. bay leaf passionflower, from the Passifloraceae family, beautiful the open flower that shines into the sun. As the English names Yellow Granadine and Jamaica Honeysuckle suggest, the juice of the fruit is made into drinks; the taste is so pleasant that the plant, which comes from America, has spread throughout the tropics. The author praises the pleasant, widely noticeable scent. On the stem at the bottom right and in the middle on the left are two colorful bugs, just like these rhynchotes, which we despise, make magnificent creatures in the tropics. The butterfly on the right is no more definable than all the caterpillars and pupae shown here. Two caterpillar sacks, houses of sack carriers, are shown. The caterpillars build this shell out of webs, stones, pieces of leaves and stems and carry it around with them like a hermit crab does its snail shell. When they want to move or eat, they leave it with only their front part and pull By closing the opening, they retreat inside in case of danger. (Original plate no. 21) ____________________________________ Maria Sibylla...

This listing is an original antique engraving titled "The INSIDE of a HOUSE, in OONALASHKA." It shows an intimate scene inside a dwelling, presumably belonging to the indigenous peop...

This is an 18th-century engraving depicting a nautical scene with dramatic action. The image shows two sailing ships in a state of distress near a rocky coastline, with the central s...

A historical copper engraving depicting "The Death of Captain James Cook, F.R.S. at Owhyhee in MDCCLXXIX" (1779). This engraving is particularly sig...

A fine late18th century coloured copper mezzotint engraving printed on original handmade wove paper, after the original painting by George Morland. The bottom left margin references ...

This rare and exquisite view depicts the strategic Dardanelles strait, the narrow passage between the Aegean and the Sea of Marmara with the distant cityscape of Istanbul. Part of th...

From Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published 1705 Engravings by J. Mulder, P. Sluyter (Sluiter) and D. Stoopendaal after Maria Sybilla Merian...

The engraving showcases two individuals of high status from Tahiti, known historically as "Otaheite" during the period of European exploration in the Pacific. On the left is "OTOO, ...

From Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published 1705 Engravings by J. Mulder, P. Sluyter (Sluiter) and D. Stoopendaal after Maria Sybilla Merian. This plate is part of ...

This original engraving contains four portrait engravings, two each of individuals from Unalaska (Oonalashka) and Kamchatka. These engravings, like the previous ones, are from "Banke...

This antique engraving with the caption "Habitations and People of the Island of Atooi," which is an old name for Kauai, part of the Hawaiian Islands. The engraving is captioned to have been engraved for "Bankes's New System of Geography Published by Royal Authority." The scene is rich with cultural and ethnographic details. It shows several indigenous Hawaiian people engaged in various activities in front of thatched houses...

This print, titled "Reptiles and Insects of Various Parts of the World," is an 18th-century engraved work issued around 1778 in London for Middleton. It features an array of meticulo...

The engraving provided is titled "The Rejoicings of the Mexicans, at the beginning of the Age." It was included in Portlock’s "New Collection of Voyages and Travels," published in 17...

From Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published 1705 Engravings by J. Mulder, P. Sluyter (Sluiter) and D. Stoopendaal after Maria Sybilla Merian. This plate is part of ...

A fine late18th century coloured copper mezzotint engraving printed on original handmade wove paper, after the original painting by George Morland. The bottom far left margin referen...

The engraving appears to be from the Captain James Cook's voyages, which took place between 1768 and 1779. Since it is related to Cook's expeditions and given the style of the engrav...

The print is from one of Captain Cook's voyages and likely from one of the three major voyages he undertook between 1768 and 1779. The engravings from these voyages were made by arti...

"Metamorphosis of Surinamese Insects by Merian" This exquisite original engraving is Plate 32 from Maria Sibylla Merian's seminal work, "Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium...

An authentic antique engraving titled "The NATCHE: a Ceremony in Honour of the KING'S SON, in TONGATABOO." It is likely from a work related to the voyages of Captain James Cook miss...

From Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published 1705 Engravings by J. Mulder, P. Sluyter (Sluiter) and D. Stoopendaal after Maria Sybilla Merian. This plate is part of a comprehensive collection comprising 17 plates. Check out other listings to view the entire series. 1964 Hoffman and Campe Verlag, Hamburg Complete production Mladinska Knjiga, Ljubljana/Yugoslavia. This 1964 official reproduction table come from the editions: Dissertation sur la génération et les transformations des insectes de Surinam, The Hague, Pierre Gosse, 1726, and Over de Voortteeling en Wonderbaerlyke Veranderingen der Surinaamsche insects, Amsterdam, Jean Frederic Bernard, 1730. POMEGRANATE FLOWER AND LANTERN BEARER Again the pomegranate, this time of the double flowering form. The division of the picture, the vegetative world below, the bizarre insect figures above, but these also subjugate the lower piece if three of them crawl on the branch. There are three types of cicadas. The three large animals belong to the species Laternaria phosphorea; they are lantern bearers with a chitinous bulge on their foreheads that shines so brightly in the darkness that one can read. Natives had once brought the painter some lantern bearers. She didn't know anything about them, put them in a box and went to sleep. She woke up from the noise that was going on in the box, opened it and dropped it in shock - a flame shot up at her, so powerful was the combined light of the cicadas, which, by the way, sing just as shrilly as the Mediterranean ones. The lowest animal is also a Laternaria, although a different species from phosphorea. The green insect that makes a lyre music...

Title: "Narrow Escape: Captain Cook's Perilous Departure from Erromango" Description: This original antique engraving here on offer presents a dramatic scene titled "The Fortunate E...

An engraving from "Portlock's New Collection of Voyages and Travels," likely dating around 1780. It depicts a scene titled "A King of Florida consulting his Magician previous to his ...

The original antique engraving for sale presents side-by-side portraits of two individuals from Tahiti, labeled as "Portrait of POTATOW" and "Portrait of OMAI." The style of the engr...

The engraving depicts a scene from one of Captain James Cook's voyages. The text below the image reads: "Capt'n Cook having been shipwrecked in his Voyage round the World, his ship E...

The engraving captures a moment of traditional Hawaiian life, portraying native Hawaiians maneuvering a war canoe. The presence of traditional masks emphasizes the cultural significa...

Captain James Cook, depicted in a period-style coat with a cravat. His hair is styled in a manner typical of the late 18th century, combed back and ...

The image is an 18th-century engraving showing a family in Dusky Bay, New Zealand. It depicts a tranquil scene with three individuals, presumably a family, in a coastal forest settin...

The engraving depicts a harrowing and chaotic scene from an 18th-century exploration, specifically the tragic event involving Commander Fleuriot de Langle and his men. The scene is s...

From Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published 1705 Engravings by J. Mulder, P. Sluyter (Sluiter) and D. Stoopendaal after Maria Sybilla Merian. This plate is part of ...

An antique engraving of the frontispiece to "Bankes's New System of Geography." The detailed artwork typically found in frontispieces of this era was designed to capture the essence ...

From Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published 1705 Engravings by J. Mulder, P. Sluyter (Sluiter) and D. Stoopendaal after Maria Sybilla Merian. This plate is part of a comprehensive collection comprising 17 plates. Check out other listings to view the entire series. 1964 Hoffman and Campe Verlag, Hamburg Complete production Mladinska Knjiga, Ljubljana/Yugoslavia. This 1964 official reproduction table come from the editions: Dissertation sur la génération et les transformations des insectes de Surinam, The Hague, Pierre Gosse, 1726, and Over de Voortteeling en Wonderbaerlyke Veranderingen der Surinaamsche insects, Amsterdam, Jean Frederic Bernard, 1730. YELLOW MOMBIN PLUM AND BLUE Here again the constitution of the two diagonals, one made up of the fruit cluster and the two delicate blue butterflies, the other made up of the branch of the plant, Spondias mombin from the Anacardiaceae family, the sumac or terebinth family, of which we have the wig bush, the poison sumac and the vinegar tree can be planted in systems. The yellow mombin plum, also known as yellow plum, is native to tropical America, but has also become naturalized in West Africa and Java. The author did not know anything about a yellow plum culture in Suriname, and she blames the Europeans there for this omission. The juice of the fruit is tart, astringent. I point out the structure, from the fruit cluster to the undeveloped and unfolded leaf all the way up to the flower. The butterfly is a hairstreak, subfamily Theclinae, family Bluelings, Lycaenidae - the species cannot be identified. According to Maria Sibylla's comments, the heavily spined caterpillars live on the fruit; they only gnaw the leaves when they have no fruit...

From Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published 1705 Engravings by J. Mulder, P. Sluyter (Sluiter) and D. Stoopendaal after Maria Sybilla Merian...

The original antique print is a pair of original engravings from "Bankes's New System of Geography." This work, as indicated by the title, was published by royal authority, suggestin...

This listing is an original antique engraving titled "The INSIDE of a HOUSE, in OONALASHKA." It shows an intimate scene inside a dwelling, presumably belonging to the indigenous peop...

From Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published 1705 Engravings by J. Mulder, P. Sluyter (Sluiter) and D. Stoopendaal after Maria Sybilla Merian. This plate is part of a comprehensive collection comprising 17 plates. Check out other listings to view the entire series. 1964 Hoffman and Campe Verlag, Hamburg Complete production Mladinska Knjiga, Ljubljana/Yugoslavia. This 1964 official reproduction table come from the editions: Dissertation sur la génération et les transformations des insectes de Surinam, The Hague, Pierre Gosse, 1726, and Over de Voortteeling en Wonderbaerlyke Veranderingen der Surinaamsche insects, Amsterdam, Jean Frederic Bernard, 1730. MEXICAN SPRAY POPPIES AND HLONGHORN BEETLES The plant is a prickly poppy, Argemone mexicana, native to Mexico but distributed throughout the tropics. A successful ensemble: the soft, light fullness of the flowers, the repellent prickliness of the leaves, the metallic, solid and dark tone of the beetles and the fat, angelic whitishness of the maggots. Here too, a breakout from the butterfly area, no dusty forms, but chiselled ones. Three different species of longhorn beetles and two maggots. The middle, largest beetle is perhaps Callipogon barbatus. Here too, reality was treated freely for the sake of the composition. The beetle larvae do not live on plants, but mostly in the soil, in the humus of weathering plant parts, and if not there, then in trunks and stems. The author says it herself: »I found small worms under the roots of this plant, orange in color with a black head and tail. They turned into yellow-spotted beetles - just like one was drawn in flight at the bottom left. She encountered the second worm in rotten wood, which became the top beetle, which still retains something worm-like on its belly. (Original plate no. 24) ____________________________________ Maria Sibylla...

The engraving features two individual portraits side by side, labeled as inhabitants of the island of Tanna, which is part of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. On the left is "A MAN of the Island of TANNA." He is depicted with a serious, almost stern expression, looking slightly to the side. His facial features are marked by a prominent beard and mustache, and his hair appears long and wavy. This detailed portrayal suggests an effort to capture the unique physical characteristics and possibly the demeanor of the man. On the right is "A WOMAN of the Island of TANNA." She is shown in a three-quarter view with a gentle expression, looking directly at the viewer. Her hair is styled in tight curls, she wears large hoop earrings, and her clothing drapes softly over her shoulders, indicating a level of adornment and style. The portraits likely aimed to depict the natural appearance and attire of the people from Tanna as accurately as possible for European audiences of the time. These works often sought to provide a detailed record of the diverse cultures encountered during exploration voyages. The style of the engraving and the reference to Captain Cook's voyages suggest that it comes from the late 18th century, likely in the period following Cook's final voyage, which ended in 1779. The engravings of Pacific peoples associated with Cook's voyages were often published in the various accounts that proliferated after his travels, as there was a keen interest in the newly contacted peoples of the Pacific. The text on the engraving says it was "Accurately Engraved for Anderson's Large Folio Edition of the Whole of Capt'n. Cook's Voyages &c. Complete." This indicates that the engraving was made for a specific publication by Anderson, compiling Captain Cook's voyages. George William Anderson is known for his compilation titled "A New, Authentic, and Complete Collection of Voyages Round the World," which was published initially in the 1780s. This collection often included large folio engravings such as this one. Given this information, we can reasonably estimate that this engraving would have been published sometime in the 1780s. However, without specific publication data, it is not possible to provide an exact year. Such details would typically be found in a library catalog...

An original antique engraving titled "Engraved for PAYNE'S Universal Geography." This title, along with the note "Vol.II page 648," suggests it is an illustration from a volume of ...

From Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published 1705 Engravings by J. Mulder, P. Sluyter (Sluiter) and D. Stoopendaal after Maria Sybilla Merian...

This original antique engraving is a set of two portraits side by side from "A New, Royal, Authentic and Complete System of Universal Geography, Antient and Modern" published by C. C...

The original antique engraving presents two individual portraits side by side. On the left is the "Portrait of POULAO, KING of the Friendly Islands," which refers to the historical ...

The engraving features side-by-side portraits of a woman and a man from Easter Island, known locally as Rapa Nui, famous for its monumental statues known as moai. The left side depi...

This antique engraving titled "The Inhabitants of New Caledonia" appears to be from the accounts of Captain James Cook's travels. The image depicts a scene from New Caledonia, an arc...