Flowering Jasmine and Laurel Plants: A Besler Hand-colored Botanical Engraving
This is a hand-colored copper-plate engraving entitled "Gelsiminum Catalonicum, Mairana Latifollia, Euphasiaramosa Pratensis Flore Albo, Euphasia Minus Ramosa Flore Excereruleo Purpurascente", depicting flowering Jasmine, Mountain Laurel and Eyebright 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.
Creator: Basilius Besler
Creation Year: 1713
Dimensions: Height: 20 in (50.8 cm)
Width: 16.25 in (41.28 cm)
Medium: Engraving
Condition: See description below.
This is a hand-colored copper-plate engraving entitled "Gelsiminum Catalonicum, Mairana Latifollia, Euphasiaramosa Pratensis Flore Albo, Euphasia Minus Ramosa Flore Excereruleo Purpurascente", depicting flowering Jasmine, Mountain Laurel and Eyebright 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.
Creator: Basilius Besler
Creation Year: 1713
Dimensions: Height: 20 in (50.8 cm)
Width: 16.25 in (41.28 cm)
Medium: Engraving
Condition: See description below.
This is a hand-colored copper-plate engraving entitled "Gelsiminum Catalonicum, Mairana Latifollia, Euphasiaramosa Pratensis Flore Albo, Euphasia Minus Ramosa Flore Excereruleo Purpurascente", depicting flowering Jasmine, Mountain Laurel and Eyebright 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.
Creator: Basilius Besler
Creation Year: 1713
Dimensions: Height: 20 in (50.8 cm)
Width: 16.25 in (41.28 cm)
Medium: Engraving
Condition: See description below.
This beautiful colorful engraving is printed on thin laid chain-linked paper. There is a small linear hole in the lower portion of the left margin. There are small areas of discoloration limited to the lower portion of the left margin, possibly related to residual binding adhesive, which does not involve the image. 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.
