Mark Catesby, the Corn Snake With Bahaman Orchid, Plate 55, 18th C Engraving

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An eighteenth-century hand-colored copperplate engraving depicting The Corn Snake with Bahaman Orchid, plate LV (55), from the imagery of Mark … Read more An eighteenth-century hand-colored copperplate engraving depicting The Corn Snake with Bahaman Orchid, plate LV (55), from the imagery of Mark Catesby’s The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands. The sheet bears the Latin snake identification “Anguis e rubro et albo varius” at upper left and the botanical caption beneath the composition. Catesby (1683–1749) supplied the original design and etched the plates for the English publication.

The snake extends across the sheet in pronounced serpentine curves, its reddish-brown coloring articulated by finely delineated, overlapping scales. Its tapering tail balances the raised head at the opposite side, while the orchid introduces broad green leaves, exposed roots, and a slender, branching flower stem. The interplay between the snake’s rhythmic movement and the plant’s angular structure gives the composition its distinctive character.

This sheet is described as eighteenth century, with the precise edition unconfirmed. The 1754 second and 1771 third English editions both used Catesby’s original copperplates. Which were produced by George Edwards.

Presented unframed, the engraving retains a visible rectangular plate impression and generous paper margins.

Measurements: 20.5″ wide × 14.375″ high. See less