Basilius BeslerFlowering Hyacinth & Calla Plants: A Besler Hand-Colored Botanical Engraving, 1713

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This is a hand-colored copper plate engraving depicting flowering "Hyacinthus Comosus Spurius" (Hyacinth), "Hyacinthus Anglicus" (Blue Hyacinth), "Palma Christi Maculata" … Read more This is a hand-colored copper plate engraving depicting flowering "Hyacinthus Comosus Spurius" (Hyacinth), "Hyacinthus Anglicus" (Blue Hyacinth), "Palma Christi Maculata" (Castor Oil Plant), "Dracunculus Aquatilis" (Marsh Calla) 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 a horizontal crease centrally, 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. See less