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Details
FLORILEGIUM
La Culture des Fleurs, tome second, representant la plus grande partie des fleurs que les curieux cultivent, peintes d'apres nature avec leurs nom. MANUSCRIPT ON PAPER. [?Flanders: c.1730s]. 2° (245 x 180mm). Foliation: [10] 279, [10] (1 manuscript title within large cartouche, 2 list of colours used in the drawings, 3-10 author's preface in French, 11-289, foliated 1-276 with additions 110*, 237* and 238*, containing 279 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS OF FLOWERS in pen-and-ink and watercolour within double-ruled black border, plant names written in Latin above and in French below each image, 290-299 alphabetical table; the first and last 10 leaves ruled in red chalk. Watermarks: predominantly horn and Pro Patria marks with GR monogram with various GR countermarks, similar to, but not identical with, Heawood 2747ff (?Holland, after 1727) and 3696ff (Holland, Honig, 1724-6). (Ruled border causing a few cracks.) Contemporary Flemish calf, single blindstamped fillet to sides, spine gilt in compartments with floral tools, French title and volume number lettered in two, speckled edges (slightly rubbed, a few discreet restorations at extremities). Provenance: Nicolaus Spycket (18th-century armorial bookplate).
A HIGHLY DECORATIVE FLOWER ALBUM IN ORIGINAL CONDITION, with an extended autograph preface by the artist describing his painting technique and specifying the colours he used in a separate list. While aware of botanical science and stressing the necessity of close observation, the artist is primarily concerned with the accurate representation of flowers, particularly in colour, rather than their scientific dissection. To this end, it is imperative for anyone engaged in flower painting to draw from nature, as the artist of the present album has done. He argues that, while flower paintings may be readily accessible to students of art and nature, it is only by drawing from nature that one may accurately render a flower; he chastises those who merely copy flowers painted by otherswithout reference to the natural object. With no hint of irony, the artist recommends his own album as a source of reference to other artists, particularly to youth, and he describes at some length the technical process of painting and colouring. By comparing specimens side-by-side one may discover that flowers appearing to be the same are in fact different. The artist has depicted each flower true to nature, but he does admit to having occasionally rearranged a leaf or petal for the sake of artistic composition. The result is AN ALBUM OF FINE FLOWER PORTRAITS.
The artist does not reveal his identity, but a few details may be gleaned from his autograph preface and from the volume itself. He was an amateur, and bemoans the fact that he has been too busy in his profession to devote more time and energy to his botanical work; compiling the present album occupied him over one year. The artist clearly was a native French-speaker, but the album appears to be Flemish, rather than French. The style of flower painting is Netherlandish; the paper is Dutch, marked with the GR monogram; the binding is Netherlandish; and the contemporary owner was the Netherlandish Nicolaus Spycket. Spycket may even be the artist.
The flowers are arranged in alphabetical sequence according to their Latin names. They include: anthirrinum, anemone, aster, campanula, clematis, crocus, cyclamen, hellebore, fritillary, carnation, hyacinth, iris, lily, narcissus, orchid, rose, tulip, veronica, etc.; the passion flower is also depicted. The missing volume I presumably contained a horticultural text, as the artist begins by explaining 'aprés avoir donné la description des fleurs que les curieux cultivent dans leaurs parerres, leur culture, culture, la terre ..j'ai cru faire plaisir aux curieux de leurs donner les figures de chaque fleur depeintes d'aprés nature...'.
La Culture des Fleurs, tome second, representant la plus grande partie des fleurs que les curieux cultivent, peintes d'apres nature avec leurs nom. MANUSCRIPT ON PAPER. [?Flanders: c.1730s]. 2° (245 x 180mm). Foliation: [10] 279, [10] (1 manuscript title within large cartouche, 2 list of colours used in the drawings, 3-10 author's preface in French, 11-289, foliated 1-276 with additions 110*, 237* and 238*, containing 279 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS OF FLOWERS in pen-and-ink and watercolour within double-ruled black border, plant names written in Latin above and in French below each image, 290-299 alphabetical table; the first and last 10 leaves ruled in red chalk. Watermarks: predominantly horn and Pro Patria marks with GR monogram with various GR countermarks, similar to, but not identical with, Heawood 2747ff (?Holland, after 1727) and 3696ff (Holland, Honig, 1724-6). (Ruled border causing a few cracks.) Contemporary Flemish calf, single blindstamped fillet to sides, spine gilt in compartments with floral tools, French title and volume number lettered in two, speckled edges (slightly rubbed, a few discreet restorations at extremities). Provenance: Nicolaus Spycket (18th-century armorial bookplate).
A HIGHLY DECORATIVE FLOWER ALBUM IN ORIGINAL CONDITION, with an extended autograph preface by the artist describing his painting technique and specifying the colours he used in a separate list. While aware of botanical science and stressing the necessity of close observation, the artist is primarily concerned with the accurate representation of flowers, particularly in colour, rather than their scientific dissection. To this end, it is imperative for anyone engaged in flower painting to draw from nature, as the artist of the present album has done. He argues that, while flower paintings may be readily accessible to students of art and nature, it is only by drawing from nature that one may accurately render a flower; he chastises those who merely copy flowers painted by otherswithout reference to the natural object. With no hint of irony, the artist recommends his own album as a source of reference to other artists, particularly to youth, and he describes at some length the technical process of painting and colouring. By comparing specimens side-by-side one may discover that flowers appearing to be the same are in fact different. The artist has depicted each flower true to nature, but he does admit to having occasionally rearranged a leaf or petal for the sake of artistic composition. The result is AN ALBUM OF FINE FLOWER PORTRAITS.
The artist does not reveal his identity, but a few details may be gleaned from his autograph preface and from the volume itself. He was an amateur, and bemoans the fact that he has been too busy in his profession to devote more time and energy to his botanical work; compiling the present album occupied him over one year. The artist clearly was a native French-speaker, but the album appears to be Flemish, rather than French. The style of flower painting is Netherlandish; the paper is Dutch, marked with the GR monogram; the binding is Netherlandish; and the contemporary owner was the Netherlandish Nicolaus Spycket. Spycket may even be the artist.
The flowers are arranged in alphabetical sequence according to their Latin names. They include: anthirrinum, anemone, aster, campanula, clematis, crocus, cyclamen, hellebore, fritillary, carnation, hyacinth, iris, lily, narcissus, orchid, rose, tulip, veronica, etc.; the passion flower is also depicted. The missing volume I presumably contained a horticultural text, as the artist begins by explaining 'aprés avoir donné la description des fleurs que les curieux cultivent dans leaurs parerres, leur culture, culture, la terre ..j'ai cru faire plaisir aux curieux de leurs donner les figures de chaque fleur depeintes d'aprés nature...'.