Basilius Besler (1561 – 1629) was an apothecary from Nuremberg who set a new standard for botanical images by depicting plants as exquisitely beautiful. Besler was commissioned by Bishop Johann Konrad von Gemmingen to create engravings of the 1,084 flowers in his immense garden. As a result, the artist spent 16 years designing 367 colored plates. Many of the plants were imported from the America and the Ottoman Empire, and all were portrayed life-size. All future flower books followed the standard set by Besler’s remarkable, detailed plant imagery.

This print is individually colored using traditional European methods. Starting with a black and white reproduction on heavy, cotton rag paper, artists apply paint using the finest watercolors. Subtle differences may appear in each print.