Florilegium tractans de variis floribus et aliis indicis plantis ad vivum delineatum in duabus partibus et quatuor linguis concinnatum

Frankfurt: A. Kempner [part 2, E. Kempner], 1612. 2 parts in one volume, folio. (14 1/8 x 9 1/8 inches). Engraved allegorical title, engraved portrait of the author, 110 contemporary hand-coloured engraved plates, title heightened in gold. Title mounted. Copper engravings, with expert modern hand-colouring. Contemporary red morocco, the covers panelled in gilt with foliate center- and corner-pieces, spine densely tooled gilt in seven compartments, lettered in one

Provenance: Thomas Herbert, eighth Earl of Pembroke (1656-1733), first Lord of the Admiralty, president of the Royal Society, dedicatee of Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Thomas Greenhill's Art of Embalming, and a prolific bibliophile

A true masterpiece of botanical illustration.

Sweert was a Dutch horticulturalist, painter, draughtsman, and engraver who was born in Brussels, Belgium in 1552. He is known for his botanical illustrations and is considered one of the leading botanical artists of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His most famous publication is the present enchanting work. Within the sumptuous red morocco is a collection of meticulously detailed illustrations, which capture the essence and beauty of each flower with stunning accuracy. Sweert's naturalistic style is a marvel to behold, creating a sense of depth and realism that sets his illustrations apart from others of its time. Arranged alphabetically by Latin name with each illustration accompanied by descriptions of the plant's physical characteristics and uses. Sweert drew from a wide variety of sources, including his own garden, the collections of botanists and naturalists, and the gardens of friends and patrons. Although the work did not contain prices, it also served as a catalogue of plants offered for sale by Sweert at the Frankfurt fair; the plates, depict some 560 plants and flowers. The work is notable for the many fine plates of bulbous varieties, particularly tulips, burgeoning the craze of Tulipomania that then swept Europe.

Cf. Hunt 196; cf. Nissen BBI 1920 &1922; cf. Stafleu & Cowan TL2 13.546. cf. An Oak Spring Flora 9.