Rare 1803 Curtis Hand-Colored Engraving No. 1123 IRIS RUTHENICA, PIGMY FLAG IRIS

Description: Rare 1803 Hand-Colored Copperplate Engraving from: William Curtis'The Botanical Magazine or Flower-Garden Displayed: [No. 1123] IRIS RUTHENICA. PIGMY FLAG. From early volumes of "The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-Garden Displayed" comes this original, copperplate engraving, a rare & sought-after early plate from the scarce early volumes.This plate is one of the classics of the Curtis volumes & likely a First Edition print, which are generally very rare. Appears to be on the original wove paper. Originals of this plate seem to have become very scarce in the market.The publication: The "Botanical Magazine" was first published in 1787 by William Curtis (1746-1799). After William Curtis passed, the magazine was published by his brother, Thomas Curtis. Later, Samuel Curtis (a son-in-law of William Curtis) became proprietor from 1801 to 1845. The prints in the first volumes were copper plates colored by hand. Some of the later prints were lithographs.Some of the distinguished artists were Sydenham Edwards, John Curtis, William Jackson Hooker, W.H. Fitch, William Graves and Matilda Smith. These prints have a universal beauty and are a lasting documentary contribution to botanical studies.The Artists: This plate was engraved & hand-colored after a painting by Sydenham Edwards & is signed by 'Syd. Edwards del.' (Sydenham Teak Edwards, 1768 - 1819) as well as the engraver, 'F. Sansom Sc.' (Francis Sansom, active 1785-1799).The drawing & coloring are quite stunning. It's a beautiful plate, full of the passion that the early flower painters, botanists & gardeners had for these amazing flowers, many of which were discovered in the pristine reaches of the ever-expanding British Empire & by intrepid explorers of the time.These gorgeously drawn, engraved & water-colored original prints were presented on their page with consistently balanced, beautiful compositions.Every part of these prints was made by hand: Hand drawn & engraved on Copper which was hand-mined, smelted & rolled, printed onto handmade cotton rag paper, inked & colored with hand-ground pigments individually by hand, & they were usually hand sewn into handmade leather-bound books.Condition: Appears to be in excellent, near pristine condition for a centuries-old engraving. The hand-coloring appears to remain sharp & brilliant as the day it was painted.These prints are very old & may have minor imperfections expected with age, such as some typical age-toning of the paper, oxidation of the old original watercolors, spots, text-offsetting, artifacts from having been bound into a book, etc. Please examine the photos & details carefully.Text Page(s): This one comes with its original text page.About this gorgeous flower:Iris ruthenica, sometimes called ever blooming iris (in the UK), Russian iris, pilgrim iris and Hungarian iris (in Europe), is a species in the genus Iris- subgenus Limniris.It is a rhizomatous perennial, with a wide distribution, ranging from eastern Europe to Central Asia. It has grass-like leaves, thick stem and violet or bluish lavender flowers which are marked with violet veining.It is named after the region of the 'Ruthenia', in Transylvania and Romania.Iris ruthenica was published in 1803, as Iris ruthenica with the common name 'pigmy iris' in Curtis's Botanical Magazine (this print!). Pigmy iris is now used as the common name of Iris pumila.Size: 5 1/2 x 9" inches approximately.Shipping: Multiple prints combine into one USPS Flat-Rate envelope. If you'd like to combine & need more time to choose, please send a message & we'll do our best to oblige. If you're assessed multiple shipping for one combined package, we'll endeavor to refund any overage asap. Thanks for Visiting!

Price: 49 USD

Location: Great Barrington, Massachusetts

End Time: 2024-09-11T22:31:53.000Z

Shipping Cost: 8.95 USD