Botany · 16th century
€ 360
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Very good impression on laid paper with full margins. Mild toning and a few small foxing marks consistent with age. Binding trace along left edge. Clean and well-preserved, with strong plate mark visible.
De Bry Engraving “Expressio Germinum” – Exotic Plants of St. Lawrence Island, c.1598
A fascinating original 16th-century copper engraving from Theodor de Bry’s Petits Voyages (Frankfurt am Main, circa 1598–1601), titled Expressio Germinum Quoque Aliorum, in S. Laurentii Insula. This detailed botanical composition illustrates a variety of rare and unfamiliar plants said to grow on the island of St. Lawrence (present-day Madagascar) and nearby regions, as encountered by early European explorers.
Each plant in the engraving is labeled alphabetically (A–F), accompanied by an explanatory Latin text beneath, describing their distinctive forms and supposed uses. The central specimen (A) shows a tall, tuberous plant with a swollen trunk, surrounded by slender flowering stalks, branching shrubs, and cane-like grasses. The background suggests a tropical landscape, with rolling hills and sparse vegetation.
The accompanying text offers early naturalist speculation, linking these exotic plants to the flora known from Asia and Africa. De Bry’s engravings were among the first printed attempts to classify and visually document tropical vegetation based on explorers’ reports, combining scientific curiosity with Renaissance imagination.
This plate is the concluding image of De Bry’s celebrated series on the flora of the Indies, closing the sequence with the word *FINIS* at the bottom — marking it as the final leaf of the botanical section in the *Petits Voyages*.
Condition: Very good impression on laid paper with full margins. Mild toning and a few small foxing marks consistent with age. Binding trace along left edge. Clean and well-preserved, with strong plate mark visible.
Framing tips: This elegant composition works beautifully as a standalone botanical engraving. It can be framed in a simple dark oak or black wood frame with a cream mat to highlight the fine engraving lines and Latin typography.
Technique: Copper engraving with Latin letterpress text on laid paper
Maker: Theodor de Bry (1528–1598), Frankfurt am Main, circa 1598–1601
Estimated value: €600–€800 retail
