Frankfurt am Main, 1592. Small oblong folio (18.0 x 27.0 cm). Single plate, finely and beautifully hand-coloured.

A fine plate of this very rare work which comprises four parts with 48 plates in all. All plates are very uncommon, if not rare. This plate illustrates a frog, lilies, bluebells, an apple, cherries, a shell, a common garden spider, a bumblebee, a beetle, and other insects, etc. This work is generally renowned for its finely executed entomological illustrations. The title, Nihili coaxatio in actione consistit virtus, means: There is no coaxing, virtue consists in action. Joris (Georgius) Hoefnagel (1542-1601) produced the Archetypa during his 'Frankfurt period' which was between 1591 and 1594. "The Archetypa were engraved as a reproduction of a collection of models and served in turn as a pattern book for other artists" (quote from Archetypa Studiaque Patris... Nature, Poetry and Science in Art around 1600, by Thea Vignau-Wilberg, Staatliche Graphische Sammlung München, 1994). Some very weak, marginal creasing, and minimal, marginal soiling. An old, skilful repair to the lower margin. Some very faint off-setting of an old, handwritten text to the paper's verso. A strong, accurately coloured print, in very good condition. Hollstein, IX, 17-64; Horn-Schenkling, 10472; Nissen ZBI, 1954.