Botany · 19th century
€ 330
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Wear consistent with age and use. Condition report: Moderate age toning with some scattered foxing, more pronounced in margins. Hand coloring remains strong. From a bound volume.
Antique Root Vegetable Lithographs – Beets, Carrots, Turnips, Calwer 1852
This attractive two-plate set features cultivated root vegetables illustrated in Carl Gustav Calwer’s Landwirthschaftliche und technische Pflanzenkunde, published in Stuttgart in 1852. The plates depict beets, carrots, radishes, and related garden crops, shown with roots, leaves, and structural detail.
Produced during a period of agricultural modernization in Germany, these images were intended to document economically important food plants with clarity and accuracy. Calwer’s plates succeed not only scientifically, but also aesthetically, combining clean outlines with subtle hand coloring that gives each vegetable a sculptural presence.
The compositions are bold and graphic, making them ideal for kitchens, dining rooms, restaurants, or farm-to-table interiors. They also appeal to collectors interested in food history, horticulture, or 19th-century educational prints.
Together, the two plates form a cohesive and visually satisfying pair that highlights the diversity and importance of root vegetables in European agriculture.
Condition report: Moderate age toning with some scattered foxing, more pronounced in margins. Hand coloring remains strong. From a bound volume.
Framing tips: Display as a vertical pair or side-by-side. Dark green or charcoal mats work well, paired with simple black or dark wood frames.
Technique: Hand-colored lithograph
Maker: Carl Gustav Calwer, Stuttgart, 1852
