Ferdinand Vietz 1800 Botanical Print Staphylea pinata

Staphylea pinata
7 1/4 by 9 1/4 inches
VI394 $45

We are delighted to present a selection of these exceedingly rare & beautiful original hand colored copper engravings from the monumental Icones plantarum medico-oeconomico-technologicarum, published in Vienna from 1800 to 1822. Ferdinand Bernhard Vietz (1772-1815) was the artist and engraver. In its entirety, this work consists of 11 volumes with 1100 botanical plates.

It was published at a time when Germany was transitioning from the overblown & elaborate Rococo style to the classic & elegant Biedermeier period. Under the neo-classical influence, design became simpler and more sophisticated. The style of Vietz is unique, in that it is a distillation of the work of many great botanical illustrators such as Blackwell, Weinman, Zorn & Woodville into a form that is superbly beautiful, with some of the most highly decorative engravings of all time. Vietz was an Austrian physician and Doctor of Medicine in Vienna & later on a Professor of forensic medicine at Vienna.

We are currently offering a selection prints from this work in the large quarto size. They are originally hand colored engraved plates with very vivid coloration & superb design. The condition of the plates is excellent, remarkable for a work that is over 225  years old. There is no text, but a color copy of the decorative title page will be provided. It is definitely among the rarest of our offerings.