Botany · 19th century
€ 850
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good antique condition with age-related toning and minor foxing consistent with age. Please examine the photographs carefully.
An original antique botanical chromolithograph depicting Artocarpus polyphema Pers., a magnificent jackfruit species native to Southeast Asia. This exceptional plate was painted from nature by the renowned botanical artist Berthe Hoola van Nooten and published in the third edition of Fleurs, Fruits et Feuillages Choisis de la Flore et de la Pomone de l'Ile de Java, issued by G. Severeyns in Brussels around 1880.
This striking composition illustrates the enormous tropical fruit suspended beneath glossy green foliage, accompanied by a detailed sectional view revealing its golden edible bulbs and botanical studies of the flowers and seeds. The dramatic scale of the fruit and the harmonious balance of greens and warm ochres make this one of the most visually impressive botanical plates from the series.
Artocarpus species have been cultivated throughout Indonesia for centuries as important food crops. Closely related to both breadfruit and jackfruit, these remarkable trees produce some of the largest fruits in the world and remain an iconic feature of tropical landscapes across Java and the wider Malay Archipelago.
Berthe Hoola van Nooten's botanical illustrations are regarded among the finest chromolithographs of the nineteenth century. Painted from living specimens in Batavia (present-day Jakarta), her works combine scientific precision with extraordinary artistic refinement. Produced using the sophisticated chromolithographic process, this print displays exceptional richness of color and subtle tonal gradations that faithfully reproduce the original watercolor painting.
Presented unframed. Images showing the print in a frame are for inspiration only. The frame is not included and may not be to scale.
Condition:
Good antique condition with age-related toning and minor foxing consistent with age. Please examine the photographs carefully.
Maker: After Berthe Hoola van Nooten (1817–1892)
Publisher: G. Severeyns, Brussels
Origin: Belgium
Date: Circa 1880
Medium: Original chromolithograph on paper with original hand-finished color.
Keywords:
original antique print, jackfruit, Artocarpus polyphema, Artocarpus, jack tree, tropical fruit, Berthe Hoola van Nooten, Hoola van Nooten, botanical print, chromolithograph, Java, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, botanical illustration, Victorian botanical art, antique wall art, natural history print, exotic fruit, collector's print, nineteenth century print, museum quality botanical art
