Twining Brodiaea Botanical Illustration by Louis van Houtte, 19th Century

€ 140

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Sheet size: 24 × 16 cm (9.4 × 6.3 in)
Condition: Good
Reference: BG-13748-7

What the condition grades mean

Excellent: Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good: Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good: Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair: Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

Condition

The condition of this print is good, with vibrant colors and clear details that have been well-preserved over time. General age-related toning and/or occasional minor defects from handling. Please study scans carefully.

About this sheet

Brodiaea volubilis, a chromolithograph from Louis van Houtte's Flore des Serres et des Jardins de l'Europe, issued in Ghent in the nineteenth century. The sheet is lettered "Brodiaea volubilis T. G. Baker", with the origin "Californie" and the cultivation note "Châssis froid" (cold frame), and is numbered 1087 at the left margin.

A rounded head of small pink, white and blue flowers sits on a straight stem, with starry open blooms mixed with closed pink buds. The notable feature of the plant is its leaves: long, pale green ribbons that twist and loop in wide curves around the stem and across the sheet, giving the plate its flowing, decorative shape. Below, three small dissections in outline show the flower opened up and a detail of the stamens.

The plant is a Californian bulb, and Van Houtte's series made such introductions available to European growers through hand-finished color plates.