Botanical Splendor- Johann Weinmann Botanical Framed Engravings- A Set of Twelve (12)

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A Fine Set of Twelve Botanical Engravings from Johann Weinmann's Phytanthoza Iconographia
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This is a beautiful and historically significant … Read more A Fine Set of Twelve Botanical Engravings from Johann Weinmann's Phytanthoza Iconographia
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This is a beautiful and historically significant set of twelve original copperplate engravings from Johann Wilhelm Weinmann's monumental botanical work, the Phytanthoza Iconographia (c. 1737–1745). The plates are exemplary for their clarity and color, having been printed using an innovative color-printing technique—a method pioneered in Great Britain and successfully utilized on the Continent for this major botanical series. The engravings are meticulously printed in colors and finished by hand, ensuring vibrant, botanically accurate depictions.

Each print is individually framed within a complementary decoupage botanical frame, enhancing the naturalistic presentation of the scientific illustrations. The plates bear the individual initials of the skilled artists—including notable contributors like Ehret, Haid, and Seutter from Augsburg—in the lower right corner, testifying to the collaborative genius behind this ambitious project. These twelve works are a testament to the confluence of scientific rigor and artistic excellence characteristic of the Age of Enlightenment.

Dimensions: Framed: 19 1/4 inches x 14 1/2 inches.

Historical Context
Johann Wilhelm Weinmann (1683–1741) was a German apothecary and botanist whose life's great undertaking was the publication of the Phytanthoza Iconographia, a work of eight folio volumes containing over 1,000 plates of several thousand plant species, published between 1737 and 1745.

This publication stands as a landmark in the history of botanical illustration for two major reasons:

1. Innovative Printing Technique: The Phytanthoza Iconographia was one of the first works to successfully employ a sophisticated, multi-plate color-printing technique on the Continent. This method, which built upon techniques like mezzotint, allowed for greater tonal variation and detail than traditional black-and-white prints that were then hand-colored. This provided a superior level of realism and shading crucial for scientific accuracy.

2. Artistic Collaboration: The project involved renowned artists of the era, including the master botanical illustrator Georg Dionysius Ehret, whose contributions lend immense artistic weight to the work. The collaboration of such skilled artisans ensured the resulting images were not only scientifically valuable but also highly decorative.
Weinmann's Phytanthoza Iconographia quickly became an influential reference, impacting subsequent botanical studies and inspiring works as far afield as Japanese medicinal texts. The scale and technical ambition of the project cement its place as a significant achievement in 18th-century botany and printmaking.

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