About this sheet
A magnificent original antique botanical chromolithograph depicting Amaranthus tricolor, commonly known as Joseph's Coat, Chinese Spinach, or Chinese Amaranth. One of the most spectacular ornamental foliage plants of the tropics, it is celebrated for its brilliant crimson, burgundy, and deep green leaves, which create a dramatic display of color throughout the growing season.
Native to tropical Asia, Amaranthus tricolor has been cultivated for centuries both as an ornamental plant and as a nutritious leafy vegetable. Throughout Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, it remains a popular edible green, while Victorian gardeners admired its vivid foliage as one of the finest decorative bedding plants of the nineteenth century.
The composition captures the luxuriant foliage in remarkable detail together with botanical studies of the flowers and seed, reflecting the exceptional scientific accuracy and artistic refinement for which Berthe Hoola van Nooten's work is renowned. The rich crimson coloration makes this one of the most visually striking foliage plates from the series.
The artwork was painted from life on the island of Java by the distinguished Dutch botanical artist Berthe Hoola van Nooten (1817–1892). It was published in her celebrated masterpiece, Fleurs, Fruits et Feuillages Choisis de l'Ile de Java, widely regarded as one of the finest nineteenth-century botanical publications devoted to the flora of the Dutch East Indies. Printed in vibrant chromolithography by P. De Pannemaeker of Ghent, this plate was issued in the third edition published in Brussels by Librairie Européenne C. Muquardt around 1880.
Today, Joseph's Coat remains one of the world's most admired ornamental foliage plants, prized for its intense colors and architectural form. This original antique print is both an important botanical record and an exceptionally decorative work of Victorian botanical art.
This is an original antique print, printed circa 1880, and not a modern reproduction or later copy.
Publication:
Fleurs, Fruits et Feuillages Choisis de l'Ile de Java
Printer:
P. De Pannemaeker, Ghent
Medium:
Original chromolithograph on wove paper.
Condition:
Good antique condition with age-related toning, occasional foxing and light handling wear consistent with age. Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form part of the description.
Please note that any framed images are for display inspiration only. The print is sold unframed. Framed mock-ups are not always shown to exact scale and are intended solely to illustrate how the artwork may look when displayed.
