BESLER, Basilius (1561-1629). Thalictrum flore incarnato. 1613-1640.

BESLER, Basilius (1561-1629)Thalictrum flore incarnatoEngraving with original hand color from "Horus Eystettensis" (The Garden of Eichstatt)Eichstatt and Nuremburg, 1613-40approx. 21 ¼ x 17" sheet Basilius Besler’s great botanical work is a landmark of botanical documentation and pre-Linnaean classification, as well as one of the most splendidly stylized and aesthetically powerful botanical works ever produced. Besler was an apothecary and botanist who managed the gardens of Bishop Johann Conrad in Eichstatt, Germany. The Bishop’s remarkable garden was one of the most extensive in Europe, containing a huge variety of European shrubs and flowering plants, as well as exotic specimens from Asia and the Americas. Besler used this encyclopedic resource as the basis for the Hortus Eystettensis, in which he studied and depicted over a thousand flowers, representing 667 species in all. With the Bishop’s patronage, he worked both as artist and publisher, directing a team of ten artists and engr