(Plate 287) Hesperdies… Roma 1646. $895.00

Plate 287  “Limon citratus silvestris” 

FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST BOOK OF CITRUS.

An original engraving by Giovanni Battista Ferrari (1584–1655) a Jesuit man-of-letters in the circle of scholars and natural scientists at the papal court, in Rome. The engraving was one of 80 illustrations included in one of the most splendid and scientifically precise botanical works of 17^th century Europe. Titled, Hesperides sive de Malorum Aureorum cultura et usu. Libri Quatuor[Hesperides, or Concerning the Cultivation and Uses of the Golden Apple in Four Volumes]it wasprinted in Rome in 1646.  The illustrations, were etched by Cornelis Bloemaert, and designed by the foremost artists of the day. The work reflects Ferrari’s interest in gardening and collecting exotic plants.  Ferrari’s first printed work was a florilegium titled, De florum cultura, published in Rome in 1633. Dedicated to the Cardinal Barberini, it described the  exotic plants growing in the Barberini garden. Ferrari subsequently turned from flowers to the study of citrus fruits, publishing what is the first scholarly work describing the orange, lime, lemon, and their varieties. The publication of his book coincided with the growing interest in and structural sophistication of 17 th century orangeries, forerunners of greenhouses, needed to keep the delicate trees protected from the cold of Northern Europe or heat of Italian summers.
As the title of the book indicates, the central theme is the mythical garden of the Hesperides, comparing it with the contemporary flowering of the Italian garden during the 'Golden Age' of the Barberini reign.

Ref: Met Museum Art Collection

Hand colored copperplate engraving on laid paper.
13 ¼ x 9 ¼ inches sheet.
Very good condition, time toning as would be expected. Paper somewhat brittle.