RÖSEL VON ROSENHOF (August-Johann). Der Monatlich-herausgege - Lot 24

RÖSEL VON ROSENHOF (August-Johann). Der Monatlich-herausgegebenen Insecten-Belustigung erster [-vierter] Theil. Nürnberg, zu finden bey dem Verfasser, [1740]-1746-1755 (vol. I-III), then Nürnberg, zu finden bey den Röselischen Erben, 1761 (vol. IV), all with "gedruckt bey Johann Joseph Fleischmann". 16 parts in 4 volumes in-4, garnet-red morocco, ribbed spines with partitions and fleurons, title and appendices, triple gilded fillet framing the boards, filleted edges, inner gilded roulette, gilded edges (period binding). I: (40) pp. frontispiece. - [...] erste Sammlung [...] Tag-Papilions der esten Classe. (12)-64 pp. 10 compositions numbered I to X stamped on 9 leaves of plates. - [...] zweyte Sammlung [...] Tag-Papilions der andern Classe. (12)-60-(24) pp., 10 comp. num. I to X embossed on 8 sheets of plates - - [...] dritte Sammlung [...] Nacht-Papilions der ersteren Classe. (8)-64 pp., 8 comp. num. I to VIII stamped on 8 pl. ff. - - [...] vierte Sammlung [...] Nacht-Papilions der zweyten Classe. (8)-312 pp., 64 comp. num. I to LXIII with one pl. num. XXXV bis, stamped on 40 ff. of pl. - - [...] fünffte Sammlung [...] Nacht-Papilions der dritten Classe. (8)-48 pp. 13 comp. num. I to XIII stamped on 7 pl. - - [...] sechste Sammlung [...] Nacht-Papilions der vierten und letzten Classe. 48 pp, 17 comp. num. I to XVII on 6 plates --- II : (8) pp, frontispiece. - Erd-Kefer [...] Erste Classe. [...] Erd-Kefer. 24-72 pp. 19 comp. one lettered A and 2 series each num. I to IX, embossed on 19 plates, 2 of which folded - - [...] Erd-Kefer [...] Zweyte Classe [...] Holz-Böcke. 28 pp. 3 comp. num. I to III embossed on 3 plates, one of which folded. - [...] Erd-Kefer [...] Dritte Classe [...] Blat-Kefer. 16 pp, 6 comp. num. I to VI embossed on 2 plates - -Wasser-Insecten der ersten Classe. (4)-32 pp, 5 comp. num. I to V embossed on 5 plates - - [...] Wasser-Insecten der zweyten Classe. (8)-76 pp., 17 comp. num. I to XVII, embossed on 13 pl. ff. - - Heuschrecken und Grillen [continuation of one of Erd-Kefer's series above]. 200 pp. 21 compositions numbered X to XXX on 20 plates, one of which is folded - - Hummeln und Wespen. 64 pp. 13 comp. num. I to XIII on 7 plates - -Mucken und Schnacken. 52 pp. 10 comp. num. I to X on 7 plates - - Register. (9) pp. --- III: (8) pp. frontispiece. - Erster Nachtrag. 628 pp. i.e.: 186 pp. numbered 1 to 186, 2 unnumbered pp. of which the second is blank, 120 pp. numbered 187 to 306, 104 pp. numbered 305 to 408, 206 pp. numbered 417 to 622, 2 pp. numbered 223 and 224, 8 unnumbered pp., 101 comp. numbered I to CI embossed on 92 pl. ff. including a title. --- IV: (12)-48-264-(4) pp. portrait-frontispiece, 40 comp. num. I to XL embossed on 40 ff. of plates - One bifeuillet detached in this volume. ORIGINAL EDITION published in issues. The last volume was completed in 1761 by Rösen's son-in-law, the miniature painter Christian Friedrich Carl Kleemann (1735-1789), who inserted a biography of his father-in-law, who died in 1759. The first two parts and the last part of the first volume appear here in reprints made in 1761 when the last issues of the work were published. Kleeman would also prepare a work to serve as a supplement, Beyträge zur Natur- und Insecten-geschichte: he would publish the first part (1761-1776) himself, but he would die prematurely, and the entomologist Christian Schwarz (1760-1835) would take care of the second part (1792-1793). ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND BEAUTIFUL GERMAN ZOOLOGY BOOKS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY, marking a transition from the decorative and recreational to the scientific: it features attractive artistic qualities combined with studies of definite scientific interest - which Linnaeus drew on for his own work. SUPERB COLOR ILLUSTRATION outside the text, comprising 4 frontispieces outside the text, including a portrait, and 357 stamped compositions on 286 leaves of hand-enhanced plates. The drawings were made from life, and for the first three volumes, the coloring was done under the supervision of Rösel himself. GERMAN NATURALIST AND PAINTER AUGUST-JOHANN RÖSEL VON ROSENHOF (1705-1759) studied painting with an artist uncle, and later with Johan Daniel Preisler. He lived for a time in Denmark, where attempts were made to retain him as a court painter, but the discovery of entomological representations engraved on copper by Maria-Sibylla Merian is said to have decided him to devote himself to the study and painting of insects. SUPERB EXEMPLAIRE RELIEVE EN MAROQUIN DU TEMPS, with plates of a very high quality.