Antique Natural HistoryOriginal plates from the naturalists' books, 1600s to 1900s
Basilius Besler Spurge, Glasswort & Pennywort Botanical Engraving, 1613

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Framed and on the wall

Basilius Besler Spurge, Glasswort & Pennywort Botanical Engraving, 1613, shown framedBasilius Besler Spurge, Glasswort & Pennywort Botanical Engraving, 1613, shown framed on a wallBasilius Besler Spurge, Glasswort & Pennywort Botanical Engraving, 1613, shown framed in a room

Frame and rooms are illustrations of how the print could look; the description says what is included.

Basilius Besler Spurge, Glasswort & Pennywort Botanical Engraving, 1613

£2,885 ($3,830, €3,400)

Period original, not a reproduction.

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Shipped from the Netherlands, flat, insured and tracked, worldwide. Returns accepted within 14 days.

Date
1613
Size
20.2 × 16.9 in (51.2 × 42.8 cm)
Condition
Good. Wear consistent with age and use. Very good antique condition. A strong impression with fresh and vibrant coloring. The sheet is slightly age-toned, with minor spotting and signs of age. Minimal losses and irregularities along the right margin. Text on verso. Please study the images.Seller Locat
Period
Before 1700
Section
Botanical
Reference
f_51670122

Basilius Besler Spurge, Glasswort & Pennywort Botanical Engraving, 1613

Original antique hand-colored copper engraving from Basilius Besler’s celebrated Hortus Eystettensis, published in Eichstätt and Nuremberg in 1613.

This magnificent botanical plate depicts three plants identified beneath the image as:

I. Cataputia vulgaris

II. Parietaria sylvestris

III. Nummularia

Traditionally described as spurge, glasswort and pennywort, the plants are presented on a monumental scale, with the large central specimen surrounded by two more delicate flowering plants. The composition combines remarkably precise botanical observation with the decorative elegance for which Besler’s work is renowned.

Basilius Besler (1561–1629) was a Nuremberg apothecary and botanist. His Hortus Eystettensis was created to document the extraordinary gardens of Johann Konrad von Gemmingen, Prince-Bishop of Eichstätt, at Willibaldsburg. First published in 1613, the work is considered one of the greatest achievements in botanical illustration and one of the most spectacular natural history books of the 17th century.

A particularly attractive impression with strong, fresh hand coloring. Text is printed on the verso and is faintly visible through the paper.

Artist: Basilius Besler (1561–1629)

Work: Hortus Eystettensis

Place: Eichstätt and Nuremberg

Date: 1613

Medium: Hand-colored copper engraving

Plate size: approximately 48 x 40 cm (18.9 x 15.7 inches)

Sheet size: approximately 51.2 x 42.8 cm (20.2 x 16.9 inches)

Condition:

Very good antique condition. A strong impression with fresh and vibrant coloring. The sheet is slightly age-toned, with minor spotting and signs of age. Minimal losses and irregularities along the right margin. Text on verso. Please study the images carefully.

Original antique print, more than 400 years old. Not a modern reproduction.

Sold unframed.

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