De spinneweb Tarantula - Dapper 1703

📜 Description
Original etching from the work of Olfert Dapper, published in Amsterdam by G. Gallet in 1703, depicting “De spinneweb Tarantula”. The plate shows two spiders suspended from their webs, represented in dorsal and ventral views, set within a naturalistic landscape featuring a river, vegetation, and mountainous terrain in the background. The composition combines zoological observation with descriptive environmental context, serving a documentary and illustrative function typical of early 18th-century encyclopedic works.
The lower inscription “De spinneweb Tarantula” identifies the subject and guides the scientific reading of the image, while the French text on the verso confirms its inclusion within a descriptive publication dedicated to islands and adjacent territories, with a didactic and classificatory purpose.

📚 Historical note
Olfert Dapper was the author of important geographical and natural history works widely circulated across Europe between the 17th and 18th centuries. His publications, printed in Amsterdam, combined descriptive texts with engraved plates intended for encyclopedic dissemination. This etching belongs to the illustrative tradition that merges natural science and landscape representation, contributing to the spread of zoological knowledge in early modern European publishing.

🧾 Technical sheet
Type: original etching
Author / Maker: Olfert Dapper
Publisher / Printer: G. Gallet
Place: Amsterdam
Period: 1703
Technique: etching
Subject / Title: De spinneweb Tarantula
Dimensions: Sheet 22.5 × 35 cm; plate 13 × 16 cm
Marks / Signatures / Inscriptions: lower inscription “De spinneweb Tarantula”; text on verso in French

🔍 Condition Report
Very good overall condition. Paper with age-consistent patina, well-inked impression with clear details. Minor signs of age not affecting readability; overall well preserved.