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Flowering Jerusalem Cherry Plants: A Besler Hand-colored Botanical Engraving

Creator: Basilius Besler
Offered by: Timeless Intaglio – Rare Prints, Maps & Books

Description
A hand-colored copper plate engraving depicting flowering "Strich nodendron, Linaria Styriaca" (Jerusalem Cherry, Alpine Toadflax) plants, plate 148 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 a pinpoint hole in the periphery on the right and another on the left, a small defect in the lower edge of the paper, another along the right edge where the print was previously bound and a focal area of discoloration in the upper margin. The print is otherwise in excellent condition with striking hand-coloring.

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 #:	577031

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