Fuchs, Leonhard

De historia stirpium commentarii insignes. Basel: Michael Isingrin, 1542 



Folio (14 7/8 x 9 3/8 in.; 378 x 238 mm). Woodcut device on title and on last page, woodcut portrait of Fuchs on title verso, portraits of the artists Heinrich Füllmaurer, Albrecht Meyer, and Veit Rudolph Speckle on recto of penultimate leaf, over 500 full-page woodcuts of plants in text, historiated woodcut initials; title stained, spotted and repaired in 3 margins touching imprint and the author's shoes, fore-edges water-stained and repaired in first 5 quires and in lower margin of last few quires sometimes affecting text or image, some waterstains of varying size throughout, manuscript captions to images in various eighteenth-century German or Italian hands, two leaves in the last quire a bit short, last leaf repaired in 3 margins. Nineteenth-century half vellum and decorated paper boards, manuscript title label on spine; recased, endpapers renewed.

Massachusetts Horticultural Society (bookplate, gift of Albert Cameron Burrage)

Adams F-1099; Horblit/Grolier 33b; Hunt 48; Nissen, BBI 658; PMM 69

De historia stirpium commentarii insignes. Basel: Michael Isingrin, 1542 Folio (14 7/8 x 9 3/8 in.; 378 x 238 mm). Woodcut device on title and on last page, woodcut portrait of Fuchs on title verso, portraits of the artists Heinrich Füllmaurer, Albrecht Meyer, and Veit Rudolph Speckle on recto of penultimate leaf, over 500 full-page woodcuts of plants in text, historiated woodcut initials; title stained, spotted and repaired in 3 margins touching imprint and the author's shoes, fore-edges water-stained and repaired in first 5 quires and in lower margin of last few quires sometimes affecting text or image, some waterstains of varying size throughout, manuscript captions to images in various eighteenth-century German or Italian hands, two leaves in the last quire a bit short, last leaf repaired in 3 margins. Nineteenth-century half vellum and decorated paper boards, manuscript title label on spine; recased, endpapers renewed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

First edition of this monument of botanical research and illustration. Fuchs (1501–1566), together with Otto Brunfels and Hieronymus Bock, was one of the three German fathers of modern botany. Although Fuchs's main objective was medicinal (he was a professor medicine at Tübingen), he also gives accurate botanical descriptions. The illustrations show over 400 German plants and 100 foreign plants, including the first description of several recently-discovered American plants, such as maize (mistakenly thought by Fuchs to originate in Turkey), pumpkin, chili pepper, and snap bean.

The illustrations were drawn from life by Albert Meyer, mainly using examples found in Fuchs's garden. Füllmaurer transferred the images to woodblock where they were cut by Speckle.