This large folio woodcut depicting verbenas is among the finest botanical images produced during the Renaissance. Designed by Giorgio Liberale for the imperial court in Prague and engraved by Wolfgang Meyerpeck, the print was issued in the celebrated Prague edition of Pietro Andrea Mattioli’s Herbarz, published in 1565 by Georg Melantrich.
Liberale’s work on Mattioli’s herbal represents a high point in the history of botanical illustration. Tasked with producing hundreds of images for the project, Liberale created compositions of remarkable clarity and balance, combining scientific observation with refined artistic sensibility. The engraving by Meyerpeck is exceptionally delicate, so finely cut that early bibliographers noted the woodblocks wore quickly, making early impressions especially desirable.
The present example is hand colored, likely shortly after publication, enhancing both legibility and aesthetic presence. The application of color remains fresh and harmonious after nearly five centuries, a testament to both the quality of the pigments and the precision of the underlying cut.
Mattioli’s Herbarz is one of the most important botanical works of the sixteenth century and among the scarcest Renaissance herbals, with only a small number of copies recorded in North American institutions. Individual botanical leaves from this edition are increasingly sought after for their rarity, scale, and historical importance.
This print stands as a foundational document in the visual history of botany, medicine, and early modern science, equally suited to private collections, institutional holdings, or scholarly display.
Good overall condition. Minor marginal age toning, consistent with age. Please review images carefully.
Nissen, Botanische Buchillustration (BBI) 1314
Pritzel 5992
Anderson, Herbals 163
Medium: Hand-colored woodcut
Format: Folio leaf
Date: 1565
Dimensions: 13.46 × 8.94 inches (34.2 × 22.7 cm)
Status: Available
This large folio woodcut depicting verbenas is among the finest botanical images produced during the Renaissance. Designed by Giorgio Liberale for the imperial court in Prague and engraved by Wolfgang Meyerpeck, the print was issued in the celebrated Prague edition of Pietro Andrea Mattioli’s Herbarz, published in 1565 by Georg Melantrich.
Liberale’s work on Mattioli’s herbal represents a high point in the history of botanical illustration. Tasked with producing hundreds of images for the project, Liberale created compositions of remarkable clarity and balance, combining scientific observation with refined artistic sensibility. The engraving by Meyerpeck is exceptionally delicate, so finely cut that early bibliographers noted the woodblocks wore quickly, making early impressions especially desirable.
The present example is hand colored, likely shortly after publication, enhancing both legibility and aesthetic presence. The application of color remains fresh and harmonious after nearly five centuries, a testament to both the quality of the pigments and the precision of the underlying cut.
Mattioli’s Herbarz is one of the most important botanical works of the sixteenth century and among the scarcest Renaissance herbals, with only a small number of copies recorded in North American institutions. Individual botanical leaves from this edition are increasingly sought after for their rarity, scale, and historical importance.
This print stands as a foundational document in the visual history of botany, medicine, and early modern science, equally suited to private collections, institutional holdings, or scholarly display.
Good overall condition. Minor marginal age toning, consistent with age. Please review images carefully.
Nissen, Botanische Buchillustration (BBI) 1314
Pritzel 5992
Anderson, Herbals 163
Medium: Hand-colored woodcut
Format: Folio leaf
Date: 1565
Dimensions: 13.46 × 8.94 inches (34.2 × 22.7 cm)
Status: Available
