Beschreibung:

TREW, CHRISTOPH JAKOB and BENEDICT CHRISTIAN VOGEL Plantae Selectae [- Supplementum Plantarum Selectarum] quarum imagines ad exemplaria naturalia Londini in hortis curiosorum nutrita manu artificiosa doctaque pinxit Georgius Dionysius Ehret Germanus occasione haud vulgari collegit nominibus propriis notisque subinde illustravit et publico usui dicavit D. Christophorus Jacobus Trew medicus norimbergensis in aes incidit et vivis coloribus repraesentavit Joannes Jacobus Haid pictor et chalcographus Augustanus. Decuria I [-X], [Nuremberg:] 1750-1773; Supplement [Decuriae 1 and 2], [Augsburg:] 1790 [-1792]. 2 vols., large folio, of text and plates 1-50 (plates 51-120, the portraits, and supplement title all apart), 530 x 370 mm., approx. contemporary boards UNCUT with open backs, the boards secured by vellum strips (plates 51-120 removed from a binding), together in a modern green half morocco gilt case, bindings worn and some slight fraying to many fore-edges throughout, lower margins of portraits of Trew and Vogel dampstained, outer margins of plates 30, 65 and 80 dampstained. FIRST EDITION. Contents: 10 engraved titles for decuria I-X lettered in red, black and gold, 4 mezzotint portraits of Trew by Haid, Ehret by Haid after Heckell, Haid after A. Graff by J.E. Haid and Vogel after Hessell by J.E. Haid, (plates 1-100) and J. Elias Haid (plates 101-120), each with the first word of the caption heightened in gold. A REMARKABLE UNCUT COPY OF ONE OF THE GREATEST EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY BOTANICAL COLOR-PLATE BOOKS, with the exceedingly scarce supplement containing a further twenty plates published in 1790-1792. The genesis of this work began as early as 1742 when Trew wrote to Christian Thran in Carlsruhe: "Every year I receive some beautifully painted exotic plants [by Ehret] and have already more than one hundred of them, which with other pieces executed by local artists, should later on, Deo volante, constitute an appendicem to Weinmann's publication but will, I hope, find a better reception than his." In 1748 agreement was reached that John Jacob Haid from Augsburg should provide the engravings, and the first part appeared in 1750. Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708-1770) worked in London during the period of the book's production, painting recently introduced exotics in the Chelsea Physic Garden and becoming a teacher of plant drawing and botany to the aristocracy. He published one illustrated botanical book himself, the elusive Plantae et papiliones rariores (see lot 43 in the present catalogue). Trew died before the text of the the last three decuriae was written and before the illustrations of Decuriae IX and X were printed. The work was completed by Benedict Christian Vogel (1745-1825), Professor of Botany at the University of Altdorf, who was also the author of Supplementum Plantarum Selectarum . "In a letter in Latin to Trew Linnaeus expresses his opinion: 'The miracles of our century in the natural sciences are your work of Ehret's plants, Edwards' work of birds and Roesel's of insects, nothing equal was seen in the past and will be in the future'" (Calman). "Ehret achieves realism, majesty, ineffable color, all in one breathtaking book" (Hunt). Gerta Calman, Georg Ehret, Flower Painter Extraordinary (1977), p. 97; Dunthorne 309; Great Flower Books , p. 78; Hunt 539; Nissen BBI 1997; Pritzel 9499; Stafleu & Cowan TL2 15.131. Provenance : Fran T. Sangismund [?], contemporary signature -- Robert de Belder (sale, Sotheby's London, 28 April 1987, lot 363). (2)