J. McA Scarce Swallowtail Butterfly Study

Natural History: British Insect Studies by J. McA 1810s

This painting forms part of an outstanding collection of insect studies, in which the artist has sequentially numbered the 'pages'. The project was evidently an endeavour of exceptional care and diligence, presenting scientific rigour with artistic flair. As such, it is exemplary of a time when entomological science was in its infancy, during the early decades of the Linnean Society (formed in 1788) and predating the formation of the Entomological Society of London in 1833. The British reading public were just beginning to be exposed to the findings of naturalists and their specimen collections through exhibitions and publications.

Here, the artist delineates all manner of butterflies, moths, spiders, wasps, ladybirds and beetles, often juxtaposing similar species on a sheet or, in the case of butterflies and moths, presenting the various stages of life cycle. Sometimes the identifications cite archaic terms such as 'cowbird' for ladybird and 'Harry long legs' for Daddy long legs; on occasions they indicate that the specimens are 'natural size' or 'magnified'. The pictures are simultaneously an aesthetic triumph and a testament to the beauty to be found in close observation of the natural world.