Three Plates from a Series of Plant Studies
Anonymous, French French
Not on view
Three plates from a series or book dedicated to plants. Each plate shows a naturalistic representation of a specific plant, although they are not identified by inscriptions. The plates bear some resemblance to those found in Columna's "Phytobasanos Sive Plantarus Aliquot Historia" of 1592, but do not derive from it. The period around 1600 saw a transition from the traditional use of woodcut to illustrate herbals. Various authors in France and Italy opted for plates executed in intaglio techniques instead. It is likely that these plates can be dated to this period of experimentation.
