Mark Catesby, the Small Rattle-Snake, Plate 42 - 18th C 'Vipera Caudisona Minor'

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An eighteenth-century hand-colored copperplate engraving by Mark Catesby (1683–1749),
'The Small Rattle-Snake (Vipera caudisona minor)', plate 42 from volume II … Read more An eighteenth-century hand-colored copperplate engraving by Mark Catesby (1683–1749),
'The Small Rattle-Snake (Vipera caudisona minor)', plate 42 from volume II of 'The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands'. Published in London, in either the 1754 second edition or the 1771 third edition (we have not been able to confirm which edition exactly), the print combines a detailed zoological study with flowering and fruiting botanical specimens. Catesby was responsible for the original design and its etched copperplate; George Edwards was responsible for the later edition.

The rattlesnake stretches across the composition in a sweeping curve, its raised head and extended forked tongue counterbalanced by the small segmented rattle at the left. Closely worked lines describe the overlapping scales, while hand-applied brown, reddish, and darker accents distinguish the patterned back from the lighter underside. Surrounding branches introduce contrasting leaf shapes, rounded flowerheads, and elongated seedpods, their arrangement framing the animal without obscuring its distinctive anatomy.

The engraved Latin captions identify the snake and accompanying plants, preserving the descriptive terminology of Catesby’s publication. The composition brings together scientific observation and decorative balance: the snake’s sinuous movement plays against the upright stems and spreading foliage, with open areas of paper maintaining clarity between the specimens. Presented under glass with a broad dark mat, contrasting inner border, and molded gilt-finish frame.

**Measurements:** 27.375″ W × 23.25″ H, framed. See less