Leucoium purpureum variegatum - Leucojum…album purpureis maculis signatum & album sanguineis maculis signatum

Magnifica incisione tratta dal celebre Hortus Eystettensis di Basilius Besler, edito per la prima volta ad Amsterdam nel 1613. ' Pubblicata con una tiratura di soli 300 esemplari, questa magnifica opera può essere considerata la pietra miliare dei libri di botanica ed il più maestoso ed importante libro del genere mai pubblicato. ' Le 367 tavole finemente incise in rame, di formato in-folio, contengono oltre 1000 diversi fiori rappresentanti 667 specie differenti. ' Basilius Besler era farmacista e botanico; le opere raffigurano il meraviglioso giardino del Cardinale Konrad von Gemmingen, che commissionò l’opera a Besler proprio per illustrare il giardino che circondava il suo castello. ' Incisione in rame, finemente colorata a mano, in ottimo stato di conservazione. Etching with later hand colour. Folio prints listed from a special edition of the work entitled Hortus Eystettensis: Bishop's Garden by Basilius Besler, a pharmacist and botanist, published in 1613. ' Johann Konrad von Gemmingen, Prince Bishop of Eichstätt, Germany, arranged a magnificent garden to encircle his castle. This garden was one of the first of its kind, an inclusive display of shrubs and flowering plants, mostly European, but with some from Asia, Africa and the Americas. ' The Prince commissioned this marvelous botanical book to be made, which chronicles the garden through the four seasons, with most of the plants depicted actual size. A team of at least ten engravers worked under Besler on this massive project for 16 years, translating in situ and specimen drawings faithfully to copperplates. ' On 367 folio size plates over 1000 flowers representing 667 species are depicted. ' Published in an edition of 300 in 1613, Hortus Eysttensis is a landmark work in the history of botanical art and considered one of the greatest botanical books ever created. Copperplate with fine later hand colour, very good condition. Cfr.