Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501–1577) - Botanical Study of...

This Renaissance botanical leaf depicts the fertile, berry-bearing form of savin, an evergreen juniper shrub. The plant is shown with its dense, branching habit, fine needle-like foliage and clusters of small blue-green berries. Small winged insects hovering around the specimen add a lively, decorative touch, characteristic of the charm of early printed herbals. The image is accompanied by printed French commentary on the same sheet, describing the plant, its properties and its medicinal uses as understood at the time. Later hand colouring enhances the illustration, bringing out the contrast between the green foliage and the berries. The leaf comes from a French edition of Pietro Andrea Mattioli's commentaries on Dioscorides, the most influential herbal of the sixteenth century. Mattioli's work presented the plants described by the ancient Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides in the first century AD, adding extensive commentary drawn from his own observations and from contemporary knowledge. First published in Italian in Venice in 1544, it appeared in numerous editions and translations, including French versions printed in Lyon, and its woodcut illustrations set a new standard for accuracy in botanical illustration. Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501–1577) was an Italian physician and naturalist from Siena, celebrated as one of the founders of modern botany and pharmacology. After studying medicine in Padua, he practised in several Italian cities before being appointed physician at the Habsburg court, serving Archduke Ferdinand and later Emperor Maximilian II. His commentaries on Dioscorides went through dozens of editions and sold tens of thousands of copies, making them one of the best-known scientific books of the Renaissance. For more than a century they remained an essential reference for physicians, apothecaries and botanists throughout Europe. Artist or Maker: Pietro Andrea Mattioli Dimensions: Approximately 36 cm x 23 cm. Medium: Woodcut with later hand colouring. Date: 16th Century. SKU: PLA-0930-2 ____ Shipping & Combined Purchases: We are happy to combine multiple purchases into one shipment, helping you save on shipping costs. Please contact us before making payment so that we can calculate and adjust the shipping cost accordingly. All items are professionally packed and shipped from France by Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) on behalf of Dahlströms Rare Prints OÜ, Estonia. Every shipment is fully insured and sent exclusively via UPS or FedEx, with tracking provided after dispatch. We handle every shipment with the utmost care, ensuring that our antique prints, maps and rare books arrive safely and in the condition described.

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