Flowering Iris Plants: An Early 18th C. Besler Hand-colored Botanical Engraving
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Description
This is a hand-colored copper plate engraving depicting flowering "Iris latifolia violaceo colore maior; Iris latifolia vulgaris coerulea; Iris latifolia maior variegata (Tall Bearded Garden Iris and Flag Iris) plants from Basilius Besler's landmark work, Hortus Eystettensis (Garden at Eichstatt), first published in 1613 in Eichstatt, Germany near Nuremberg and later in 1640 and 1713.
This beautiful colorful engraving is printed on thick laid chain-linked paper. There is latin text on the verso. There is pinpoint hole in the periphery on the right and another on the left. There is a vertically oriented crease on the right, related to the process of drying the paper during its production, which is common with original Besler engravings. The print is otherwise in excellent condition.
Basilius Besler (1561–1629) was an apothecary and botanist. He was curator of the Willibaldsburg Castle garden of Johann Konrad von Gemmingen, prince bishop of Eichstätt, in Bavaria, who supported Besler's academic and artistic creation and whose funds allowed the purchase of exotic plants from all over Europe. Besler spent 16 years producing drawings of 1084 varieties of plants and flowers in different seasons. These were then engraved on copper plates by master artists, resulting in the 367 beautiful and detailed engravings which comprise Besler's monumental florilegium Hortus Eystettensis, the first large-scale botanical publication. -
More Information
Documentation: Signed Period: Pre 18th Century Condition: Good. Creation Date: 1713 Styles / Movements: Other Incollect Reference #: 577035 -
Dimensions
W. 17.5 in; H. 20 in; W. 44.45 cm; H. 50.8 cm;
Message from Seller:
Timeless Intaglio is an online gallery of rare and collectable antiquarian prints, maps and books. Although we specialize in all forms of vintage printed works on paper, the majority were created with the intaglio method of transferring ink from a plate, usually copper, to paper with a technique utilizing pressure generated by a press. Email us directly: rbreiman@timelessintaglio.com