Rare Mark Catesby Counterproof Print

(British, 1679-1749)

T. 14 The Rice-bird, from The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and The Bahama Islands, Vol. 1, London, 1731-1743, a counterproof in reverse, hand colored etching and engraving on laid paper with Strasbourg Lily watermark, plate 9-7/8 x 13-7/8 in., sheet 13-1/2 x 18-3/8 in.; Kent style gilt wood frame, 22-5/8 x 26-3/4 x 1 in.

Provenance: Estate of Richard and Shirley Roberts, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Note: This rare print appears in reverse from the plate in The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands. In an article by Colonial Williamsburg on their Crested-jay counterproof they state, "While the ink is still fresh, the printer can pass the print and another piece of paper through the press to get a second copy. The object of creating a counterproof is to be able to inspect the state of the plate. The image produced is more subtle, consisting of delicate lines that lack the beveled impressions of the original."