Besler Hand Colored Botanical Engraving of Wood Pink & Cottage Pink Flowers
A 17th century hand-colored copper plate engraving entitled "Caryophyllus Maior Sylve Strisvarie Gatus" (Wood Pink & Cottage Pink Flowers) 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: 1613
Dimensions: Height: 31 in (78.74 cm) Width: 27 in (68.58 cm) Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
Medium: Engraving
Condition: See description below.
Reference #: 3649
A 17th century hand-colored copper plate engraving entitled "Caryophyllus Maior Sylve Strisvarie Gatus" (Wood Pink & Cottage Pink Flowers) 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: 1613
Dimensions: Height: 31 in (78.74 cm) Width: 27 in (68.58 cm) Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
Medium: Engraving
Condition: See description below.
Reference #: 3649
A 17th century hand-colored copper plate engraving entitled "Caryophyllus Maior Sylve Strisvarie Gatus" (Wood Pink & Cottage Pink Flowers) 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: 1613
Dimensions: Height: 31 in (78.74 cm) Width: 27 in (68.58 cm) Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
Medium: Engraving
Condition: See description below.
Reference #: 3649
This engraving is presented in a silver and gold-colored wood frame with a green edge and three elaborate cream-colored French mats; the outer and the inner French mats are accentuated by light gray bands; the middle mat is embellished by a broad decorative marbleized green band. It is glazed with plexiglass. There is text offset, which is frequent with Besler prints, and a central horizontal crease on the right that may be related to the paper manufacture or printing process and a short crease or tear in the left margin. The print is otherwise in very good condition. Provenance: W. Graham Arader Gallery
There are two additional listings of Besler hand-colored botanical engravings that are available for sale. They are identically framed and matted and would make a beautiful display grouping of two or three prints. A discount is available for an order of two or more of these or other botanical engravings, depending on the number purchased.
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.
