Michael Bernhard Valentini

Prickly Pear Cactus by Michael Bernhard Valentini, 1719

1719

Original engraving by Johann Wilhelm Weinmann from "Phytanthosa Iconographia." Ratisbon, 1737-1745. This plate: N. 304 Caranna.[Palm Tree]. Mezzotint engraving printed in color and f...

Pair of original engravings with later hand-coloring from Viridarium Reformatum Seu Regnum Vegetabile... by Michael Bernhard Valentini. Tab. XXVII [Snapdragons and Throatwort] and ...

Original engraving by Johann Wilhelm Weinmann from "Phytanthosa Iconographia." Ratisbon, 1737-1745. This plate: No. 113 Ananas Folio Latiore. Mezzotint engraving printed in color and...

Seba, Albertus. Locupletissimi rerum naturalium thesauri accurata descriptio, et iconibus artificiossimis expressio, per universam physices historiam. Amsterdam, Wetsten, Smith, Jans...

This hand-colored botanical mezzotint and line engraving by Johann Wilhelm Weinmann (1683-1741) is entitled "Cereus Erectus Altissimo Surinamensis (Cereus Cactus Plant)". It is plate...

This is a hand-colored stipple engraving entitled "Cactus Opuntia Polyanthos, Cierge Raquette Multiflore" (Prickly Pear Cactus) by Pierre-Joseph Redouté, Plate 59 from his illustrated publication 'Plantarum Historia Succulentarum ou Histoire des Plantes Grasses', published in Paris in 1799. Redoute was a pioneer of the stipple engraving technique, which he used to create this image. It involves utilizing a series of small dots worked into a copper plate rather than the more common lines. These dots can be made smaller or thicker depending on the degree of opacity the artist intends for various areas of the print. When inked and applied to paper, this allows for a greater portion of the paper to be seen, which accentuates the appearance of luminosity of the subject the artist is creating. Different color inks are used in the printing process, a time consuming technique known as "a la poupee". The engraving is then finished with watercolor to further enhance the beauty and realism of the print subject. This engraving of a flowering cactus is presented in a double mat; white outer mat and heather green inner mat.The mat measures 20" x 16" and the sheet measures 19.5" x 13.38". There are wide margins with a few short tears and chips along the the right and upper edges, which are all covered by the mat. There are small spots predominantly in the margins, but a few are present in the image area, but the print is otherwise in very good condition. There is another Redoute flowering cactus listed on 1stdibs, LU117326854582. The pair would make an attractive display grouping. Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840), was a painter and botanist originally from Belgium, who pursued his extremely successful artistic career in France. He is well known for his watercolor paintings of roses, lilies and other flowers and their subsequent folio-sized, color stipple engravings. Some believe him to be the greatest botanical illustrator of all time. Redouté was a favorite of the French royal court at the time and of the post French...

Lithograph hand watercolored. Plate from "Atlante di Botanica popolare ossia Illustrazione di Piante Notevoli di ogni famiglia" (Atlas of popular botany or illustration of notable p...

A hand-colored copper plate engraving depicting flowering "Melocactos" (Turk's Cap Cactus or Mother-in-law's Cushion), "Rosa Hiericontea aperta" (Rose of Jericho Unfolded), "Rosa Hie...