Chamomile & Safflower: A 17th-18th C. Besler Hand-colored Botanical Engraving
This is a hand-colored copper plate engraving entitled "Chamemelum Romanum flore simplici (Chamomile), Cincus Sativus (False saffron, Safflower), Chamaemelum Romanum Flore (Roman Chamomile)", depicting flowering Chamomile, Safflower and Roman Chamomile plants respectively 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: 22.25 in (56.52 cm)
Width: 17.38 in (44.15 cm)
Medium: Engraving
Condition: See description below.
This is a hand-colored copper plate engraving entitled "Chamemelum Romanum flore simplici (Chamomile), Cincus Sativus (False saffron, Safflower), Chamaemelum Romanum Flore (Roman Chamomile)", depicting flowering Chamomile, Safflower and Roman Chamomile plants respectively 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: 22.25 in (56.52 cm)
Width: 17.38 in (44.15 cm)
Medium: Engraving
Condition: See description below.
This is a hand-colored copper plate engraving entitled "Chamemelum Romanum flore simplici (Chamomile), Cincus Sativus (False saffron, Safflower), Chamaemelum Romanum Flore (Roman Chamomile)", depicting flowering Chamomile, Safflower and Roman Chamomile plants respectively 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: 22.25 in (56.52 cm)
Width: 17.38 in (44.15 cm)
Medium: Engraving
Condition: See description below.
This beautiful colorful engraving is printed on thin laid chain-linked paper with wide margins. There are a few small spots and some irregularity of the lower edge. There is some bleed-through of text from the verso. The print is otherwise in excellent condition with striking hand-coloring. The sheet measures 22.25" high and 17.38" wide.
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.
