Abraham
Munting
Botanicals
The hand-colored copper-plates below
are cut from Abraham Munting's (1626-83) Nauwkeurige
Beschrijving Der Aardgewassen (Accurate
Descriptions of Terrestial Plants). Munting was a
Dutch physician and learned botanist who directed the Hortus
Botanicus Groninganus from 1658-83. His
first book, Waare Oeffening
der Planten,
1672, was
published in Amsterdam
and had 40 plates. A second edition was issued in 1682.
The third
edition, which appeared in 1696,
was retitled and enlarged to include 245 plates. These amazing plates typically
feature plants hovering in front of a pastoral or classic landscape and
accompanied by architectural ornaments such as scrolls, banners, and
tablets. The paper is chain-linked, with a texture that is not
evident in the photos. The paper, which varies considerably in
thickness, tends to be an off-white ecru or ivory, and is a little
darker than the photos indicate.
Size:
Approximately 10 x 15.5 inches.
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