Pair of Johann Christoph Volckamer, Nurenberg Botanical Hand Colored Lithographs in Custom Frames

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Pair of Johann Christoph Volckamer, Nurenberg Citrus and Ribbon Botanical Hand Colored Lithographs in Custom Marbled Paper Mattes and Beautiful … Read more Pair of Johann Christoph Volckamer, Nurenberg Citrus and Ribbon Botanical Hand Colored Lithographs in Custom Marbled Paper Mattes and Beautiful Burled Wood Frames.

Pair of framed lithographs of citrus fruits; these are citrons cultivated in Europe in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. From a series that depicts lemons, limes, oranges, bergamots and grapefruits – both typical and exotic varieties and shapes – as well as some other non-citrus fruits such as pineapples, pomegranates, and coconuts.

In this period, it was fashionable among the aristocracy in Central Europe to grow plants native to the Mediterranean and the tropics, despite the cold winter climate. They built tall greenhouses to shelter the trees during the winter, and had the plants moved outdoors in the summer. Johann Christoph Volckamer was one such person — a wealthy Nuremberg silk merchant with a fine citrus greenhouse and garden. He engaged several artists and engravers to produce Nürnbergische Hesperides, a two-volume work featuring his collection. The first volume was published in 1708, and the continuation volume in 1714. Each consists of four parts on citrus fruits and one part devoted to other flowering plants or fruits. According to scholar Gordon Dunthorne, this was the first botanical set to focus almost solely on fruit.

I found in an Antique Art Boutique and had them Archivally Professionally framed with the celadon green marbled paper mattes and the lovely mahogany Burled Frames in early 1990s. See less