Framed Hand-Colored French Butterfly Engraving, c. 1820–1850

Hand-Colored Copperplate Engraving of Butterflies by St. Noël, Engraved by Thouvenin — France, c. 1820–1850

9.25” x 5.75”

Hand-colored natural history engraving depicting three butterfly specimens, labeled with their Latin and French names. The print is attributed to St. Noël pinx. and Thouvenin sculp., part of a 19th-century French entomological series under the title Plumes. Printed on early wove paper with visible plate mark and natural foxing consistent with its age. Mounted on period card with black marbled paper edging and an early hanging loop at the back. 

Soft neutral tones and delicate detailing make this piece a beautiful addition to a salon wall or gallery grouping. Its narrow format works well layered among gilt frames or mixed with naturalist and botanical prints.

Typical of early- to mid-19th-century French scientific illustrations, this engraving reflects the era’s fascination with cataloguing the natural world. These works bridged art and science, balancing accuracy with beauty, and were often sold individually or bound into natural history volumes during the Restoration and early Second Empire periods.