Irisses – Basilius Besler, 1613
€1.750
THREE IRISES FROM THE HORTUS EYSTETTENSIS
“Iris lutea variegata Lobelij“, “Iris latifolia decima Clusii“, and “Pseudo Iris palustris“. Copper engraving from the “Hortus Eystettensis” by Basilius Besler, published in Nuremberg in 1613. Coloured by a later hand. Size (platemark): 48 × 38.5 cm.
This botanical engraving presents three varieties of the iris plant, as they were admired in the early 17th century in the gardens of the episcopal palace at Eichstätt in Bavaria. The image is part of the Hortus Eystettensis, one of the most richly illustrated florilegia of the early modern period—an exceptional fusion of science and art.
On the left is Iris lutea variegata Lobelij, notable for its yellow flowers with darker veining. This variety is named after the Flemish physician and botanist Matthias de Lobel (1538–1616), who systematically described numerous iris species.
At the center stands Iris latifolia decima Clusii—the “tenth iris” in the classification of Carolus Clusius (1526–1609), one of the founding figures of modern botany. Native to the Pyrenees, this species is characterized by its broad, sword-shaped leaves and large violet-blue flowers with elegantly arching falls. In Clusius’s time, it was a rare and much-coveted garden plant, admired for its regal appearance.
On the right appears a species labeled Pseudo Iris palustris (“false marsh iris”), with slender foliage and reddish-brown tinted blossoms. The unusual coloration deviates from what one would expect in typical Iris pseudacorus or Iris versicolor. The hand-colouring may not be entirely botanically accurate. Besler’s work was as much an aesthetic endeavor as a scientific one.
Basilius Besler (1561–1629) was a respected apothecary and botanist from Nuremberg. He oversaw the gardens of Johann Konrad von Gemmingen, prince-bishop of Eichstätt, which at the time hosted the only major botanical garden in Europe outside Italy.
Besler spent sixteen years documenting the Eichstätt gardens. The garden flowers, herbs, fruits, and exotic plants were depicted life-size and in remarkable detail. The Hortus Eystettensis was first published in 1613 and comprised 367 copper engravings, illustrating a total of 1,084 different plant species.
Price: Euro 1.750,-
