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Iconotypes: A Compendium of Butterflies and Moths, Jones' Icones Complete
The first publication of Jones’s Icones, a strikingly beautiful and significant achievement in natural history.
William Jones’s Icones is one of the most scientifically important and visually stunning works on butterflies and moths ever created. Icones contains finely delineated paintings of more than 760 species of Lepidoptera, many of which it described for the first time, marking a critical moment in the study of natural history. Yet until now, it has never been published—the only existing manuscript copy is housed in the archives of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. With Iconotypes, Jones’s work is published for the first time, accompanied by expert commentary and contextual essays, and featuring annotated maps showing where each specimen was discovered.
Between the early 1780s and 1810, Jones, a wine merchant, painted in painstaking detail hundreds of species of Lepidoptera, drawing from his own collection and the collections of prominent amateur naturalists. For every specimen, Jones included the known species name, the collection, and the geographical location in which it was found. In this enhanced facsimile, Jones's historical references are clarified and modern taxonomic names are provided together with notes on which paintings serve as iconotypes. Contextual commentary by specialist entomologist Richard I. Vane-Wright gives an account of Jones’s life, his motivation for collecting butterflies and creating the Icones, and evaluates the significance of Jones’s work. This lavish volume intersperses contemporary maps showing the locations of each specimen, expert essays on the study of lepidoptery since Ancient Egyptian times, the development of taxonomy after Linnaeus, the roles of collectors and natural history artists during the late 1700s to mid-1800s, and the steep decline of butterflies and moths over the last fifty years. Iconotypes is a beautiful collector’s object for fans of natural history and illustrations of butterflies and moths, as well as artists, designers, and bibliophiles.
William Jones’s Icones is one of the most scientifically important and visually stunning works on butterflies and moths ever created. Icones contains finely delineated paintings of more than 760 species of Lepidoptera, many of which it described for the first time, marking a critical moment in the study of natural history. Yet until now, it has never been published—the only existing manuscript copy is housed in the archives of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. With Iconotypes, Jones’s work is published for the first time, accompanied by expert commentary and contextual essays, and featuring annotated maps showing where each specimen was discovered.
Between the early 1780s and 1810, Jones, a wine merchant, painted in painstaking detail hundreds of species of Lepidoptera, drawing from his own collection and the collections of prominent amateur naturalists. For every specimen, Jones included the known species name, the collection, and the geographical location in which it was found. In this enhanced facsimile, Jones's historical references are clarified and modern taxonomic names are provided together with notes on which paintings serve as iconotypes. Contextual commentary by specialist entomologist Richard I. Vane-Wright gives an account of Jones’s life, his motivation for collecting butterflies and creating the Icones, and evaluates the significance of Jones’s work. This lavish volume intersperses contemporary maps showing the locations of each specimen, expert essays on the study of lepidoptery since Ancient Egyptian times, the development of taxonomy after Linnaeus, the roles of collectors and natural history artists during the late 1700s to mid-1800s, and the steep decline of butterflies and moths over the last fifty years. Iconotypes is a beautiful collector’s object for fans of natural history and illustrations of butterflies and moths, as well as artists, designers, and bibliophiles.
- GenresNonfiction
688 pages, Hardcover
Published November 16, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 6, 2022
This is a truly beautiful book, one of the most beautiful books around and quite possibly the most beautiful book in my collection.
When I saw there was only one review for this book, I knew I had to leave a review for anyone unsure whether or not to take the plunge (as this is a pricey book). This is a very simple review but should suffice. If you are looking for a beautiful artbook then this is a book for you without a doubt. I must confess, I have not read a single page in this book, despite spending a significant period of time simple taking in its beauty. One question you may have (that I also had) is how much of this bohometh of a book is covered by beautiful illustrations? The answer to this is 90%, a refreshing change for many artbooks.
I hope my love for this book comes across in my poorly written review and helps anyone contemplating whether or not to purchase this gorgeous masterpiece of an artbook.
When I saw there was only one review for this book, I knew I had to leave a review for anyone unsure whether or not to take the plunge (as this is a pricey book). This is a very simple review but should suffice. If you are looking for a beautiful artbook then this is a book for you without a doubt. I must confess, I have not read a single page in this book, despite spending a significant period of time simple taking in its beauty. One question you may have (that I also had) is how much of this bohometh of a book is covered by beautiful illustrations? The answer to this is 90%, a refreshing change for many artbooks.
I hope my love for this book comes across in my poorly written review and helps anyone contemplating whether or not to purchase this gorgeous masterpiece of an artbook.
August 31, 2024
Picked this up on a whim from the library, knowing nothing about the topic, and I couldn’t be happier with the choice. The main attractions of the book, Jones’ depictions, are of course stunning. More surprising to me was the selection of articles examining the history of and issues within lepidopterology, which are fascinating and brimming with insight. Overall, an excellent book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews